Interview: Jeff Plate of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

Coming to Grand Rapids, Michigan, on December 7th, 2025, for 2 shows at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM, the multi-platinum rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) returns with the exciting details of their highly anticipated 2025 Winter Tour. This year, the rock powerhouse will bring back their legendary holiday show, "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More", to life with a special production,  featuring a second set of hits and fan favorites, including a 25th-anniversary salute to Beethoven’s Last Night. Kicking off on November 13, the tour will span 64 cities with 106 performances before concluding on December 30, continuing TSO’s tradition of delivering an unparalleled fusion of rock, classical, and theatrical spectacle — complete with pyros, lasers, and the powerful storytelling that has captured the hearts of generations.

Broadway World Michigan had the chance to talk with long-time TSO drummer Jeff Plate, ahead of the show's Sunday, December 7th at Van Andel Arena.

Broadway World Michigan:  T.S.O. came about from “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" from Dead Winter Dead -- how did the idea come to form T.S.O. come out of the success of one single and become the massive success it did? 

Jeff Plate: The idea for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was in the mind of Paul O’Neill dating back to the mid-1980s.  While Paul was producing and promoting major rock acts starting in the mid-1970s and on, he also had an eye and an ear on Broadway, as it incorporated music, production, storytelling, and acting using multiple characters.  Combining all of this with not just rock music, but all genres of music, was the vision that Paul had years before actually creating TSO.  You can see and hear this in his work with the band Savatage, as he led them in a more progressive and symphonic direction while still maintaining their hard rock/ heavy metal edge.  Surround this with stories, concepts, and some deep lyrical content, and you have a string of great albums- Hall of The Mountain King, Gutter Ballet, Streets, Edge Of Thorns, and Handful Of Rain- all of which were pointing in the direction of what would later become TSO. 

The song ‘Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24’ was an idea that Paul had been trying to record and release for years, but didn’t have the right artist or situation to do so.  The Savatage album ‘Dead Winter Dead’ was the perfect place for this piece, as it fit in not just musically, but also with the emotion and intensity of the lyrics and story that accompanied this album.  I honestly believe that at the time, Paul was the only one who knew he had a legitimate hit song on his hands, and when ‘Dead Winter Dead’ was released, it was proven so.  The song became an instant holiday hit and was the vehicle for Paul to create TSO.

BWW Michigan: You have performed on all of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tours & have been to Grand Rapids multiple times as part of the Winter Tour schedule. What are you looking forward to the most about coming back to Grand Rapids?

Jeff: The Grand Rapids audience is one of the best we play to year after year.  Ever since 2000, when they showed up in mass and sold out the Devos Performance Hall in the middle of a blizzard, there has been a very strong bond with these fans.  TSO performs two shows on the same day at the Van Andel Arena every year, and both the matinee and evening shows are always sold out and full of energy.  We love performing for these people as much as they love watching our show.

BWW Michigan: Do you have any favorite places that you like to visit or things you like to do when you are on tour?

Jeff: Grand Rapids is certainly one of them.  Playing in the Upstate New York area, close to my home, is always special because family and friends get to make it out and see the show. Cleveland is a favorite, too.  That city is a huge part of this story, being instrumental in bringing TSO to the stage along with the tremendous support of those fans.  Plus, it’s my wife’s hometown!

BWW Michigan: How much of the drumming in a T.S.O. show is improvisation?  Then, if it is improv’ed, what is your process for improvisation? 

Jeff: I would say very little, if any, is really improvised.  Some parts may have changed a bit and developed over the years, but I always stay true to the initial ideas.  The entire band is so well rehearsed, and I always know exactly what I am playing from the first note of the tour to the last.

BWW Michigan: How have you evolved and keep T.S.O.’s music fresh, not only personally as the drummer, but the group as a whole? 

Jeff: As I mentioned before, I stay true to the original parts; we all do.  As you mature musically and personally, you realize more and more what is important and right for the song.  We all have chops and like to display them from time to time, but eventually you realize that less can be more.  Learning where and when to place those chops can make them stand out even more.  Everyone here is so accomplished and talented, it’s hard to resist trying things, but we also know how far we should take something.  Paul’s work is very unique and very successful; we all have the highest respect for that.  As TSO has such a huge and dynamic production, sometimes we may emphasize certain parts, accents, etc., to help the lighting or other parts of the production jump out. 

BWW Michigan: What is your favorite song to play? Which song utilizes the most pieces of your drum kit?

Jeff: Favorite song is ‘12/24’.  It is a fun song to play, and I’ve played it thousands of times, but it is the one song that electrifies the room, any room, every time we play it.  The energy that songs bring is unmatched.  The instrumentals are always fun, and ‘Ornament’ is a special one for me.

As far as what song utilizes the kit most, it is probably the live version of ‘Christmas Jam’.  When TSO did the European Winter Tour in 2015, Al Pitrelli and I kept throwing ideas back and forth for this song.  Paul really liked what he heard and signed off on it, and that is the version I play today.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is playing Grand Rapids, Michigan, on December 7th, 2025, for 2 shows at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM, at Van Andel Arena, 130 West Fulton | Grand Rapids, MI 49503.   

A portion of ticket sales goes to local charities in each stop, and at the time of print, tickets are still available for both shows.

* The 2:30 PM Matinee Show is sponsored by iHeart Radio’s Local Christmas station, Star 105.7 FM, with Proceeds benefiting Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital

Tickets for the 2:30 PM Matinee Show: https://www.ticketmaster.com/transsiberian-orchestra-the-ghosts-of-christmas-grand-rapids-michigan-12-07-2025/2:30

* The 7:30 PM Evening Show is sponsored by Townsquare Radio station WGRD 97.9 FM, with Proceeds benefiting The Idiots for Underdogs Charity

Tickets for the 7:30 PM Evening Show: https://www.ticketmaster.com/transsiberian-orchestra-the-ghosts-of-christmas-grand-rapids-michigan-12-07-2025/7:30