A performance control apparatus which can actually reproduce performance information without a long sounding blank time period being produced even if the performance information includes information indicative of a long sounding blank time period. Performance data md-A including at least key-on event data KON and time data TIME that defines sounding timing is read out and output. When the time data TIME in the readout performance data md-A is indicative of a longer sounding blank time period than a predetermined time period, the sounding blank time period is reduced or eliminated in outputting the performance data md-A.