This chapter aims to initiate a tradition of philosophizing about expressive music performance, and to draw attention to the immense complexity of the phenomenon. After revisiting Carl Seashore’s definition of performance and teasing apart some of its conceptual and methodological aspects, the chapter discusses some of the epistemological premises that have pervaded psychological research on expressive performance. It then explores the connection between performance expression and emotional expression in an attempt to identify potential universals of expressive music performance. It is argued that the meanings emanating from the sounds of a performance are the reflection of non-sonic factors, of historical–cultural contingencies, and of complex social dynamics that have not been targeted by the mainstream of expressive performance research. Drawing examples from both western and non-western cultural contexts, the chapter argues for the inclusion of philosophical enquiry within the field, so that expressive music performance may be more fully understood.