De Telegraaf, July 2nd, by Harrie Nijen Twilhaar Translated by Diana D. Le Photos by Janita Sassen and ARP. André Rieu (75) only sees happy people at the Vrijthof: "It seems like there are no world problems" Maestro celebrates 200th birthday of waltz king Johann Strauss Fans from all over the world will settle for three weeks in the historic center of Maastricht from Thursday, where André Rieu gives his traditional summer concerts at the Vrijthof. The 75-year-old maestro put a big line through his world tour last year and still has no regrets. “Physically, it was no longer profitable.” Thursday evening, nine o'clock at the Vrijthof in Maastricht - as usual transformed into an open-air concert hall - for the total twelve summer concerts of André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. And although the violinist and orchestra leader has been in his hometown since 2005, the tension after all these years is no less in the maestro. “Every time, every summer!” laughs Rieu. “The adrenaline then flows through my body. That goes for every concert, but the Vrijthof is of course very special, for everyone. It feels like coming home. There are so many people from all over the world to our summer concerts, really unimaginable. The whole town is bustling. It seems in Maastricht as if there are no problems, no war in the world. Everyone is happy and joyous.” Since last year, you hardly have been outside Europe anymore. - No regrets? “No, that’s been a conscious decision and I didn’t regret it for a day. I turned 75 this year, I enjoy the concerts and hope to continue for a long time. It is important to stay fit and healthy. I do everything to that: healthy food, no alcohol, power sports, and above all, having fun in what I do. 10-hour, or even longer, air travel to the United States or countries in South America, are certainly not fun and unhealthy. You will celebrate this edition the bicentenary of Johann Strauss. Your great example? “That composer, and especially waltz king, has composed so much wonderful music, culminating in "An der Schoenen blauen Donau" (Blue Danube), a waltz that we play every night, anywhere in the world. It loosens a lot to my fans. What a genius that man was!” This year you will ‘part ways’ from singer Emma Kok (17), your protégé. What does that do to you? “Emma is still touring with us for a long time, you know. But of course, it is a pity that she is leaving, because we all love this fantastic girl. She is not only very talented, but also very strong and brave. I think she is an example for young and old. Despite her serious illness, gastroparesis, she has a goal in mind – and she pursues that: she wants to become world-famous. Well, she's very well on her way to achieving that! Also this year at the Vrijthof, she will surprise the audience with a new song. It will be beautiful!” Do you not have precautions for the public if, for example, it is still hot in the evening or the rain is pouring down from the sky? “Rain ponchos and bottles of water are distributed. And there are sufficient agencies, such as those of the first aid, who monitor the well-being and safety of the public. I think that’s a requirement, it reassures me.” You're known as a perfectionist, when are you satisfied? “If my audience leaves the square in the afternoon with a smile on the face and singing with each other "Adieu, mein kleiner Gardeoffizier" (Adieu, little Captain of my heart), looking for a hotel or a cozy cafe, and still after numerable hours, then I can enjoy that. The nights after our concerts are always very cozy in Maastricht.” What will you do when the summer concerts are over? “For the orchestra and me, this series is the end of the season. After the last concert we celebrate together, after which the summer holidays start for everyone. At the end of August, we start the tour in Malta, in Floriana. Am I going on vacation? First, just relax, at home in the garden. Then we will see further.”

RTV Maastricht, July 4th 2025, photos by Laurens Bouvrie More than ever, André Rieu turns the Vrijthof into a temple of love, music, and brotherhood It is just before the kick-off of André Rieu at the 2025 Vrijthof edition. The most famous Maastricht resident of all time, has posted his feet on the plaque that reminds of his hundredth performance on the square that is inextricably linked to his concerts. Just before, he traditionally strolls with son Pierre at his side and in their wake the members of the Johann Strauss Orchestra along the terraces, where thousands of fans will follow his concert while enjoying drinking and food. Selfies While André Rieu and his “family” (Johann Strauss Orchestra) are waiting for the start of the Maastricht concert series 2025, fans will have the chance to take a selfie with orchestra members. But it can be more exuberant. A Polish fan sees her chance and jumps into the arms of one of them (Franco Vulcano). It was exemplary for the euphoria that was palpable at the Vrijthof at concert number one of the year 2025. Extra enjoyment As it is called in sports jargon, the neutral spectator could not help but enjoy the start of André Rieu’s concert at the Vrijthof. Twenty years after the first edition, the exuberant atmosphere on and around the square seems bigger than ever. For the many fans who have been present for years, it seems to be a kind of awareness of: let us enjoy extra, because one day... For those who are going to experience André Rieu in his home town for the first time, it is squeezing in the arms. At the drink stall, already managed by Ludo Mesters and his spouse for years, a newcomer orders a glass of wine. For those who want to hear it: “This is unbelievable. What did I miss all the these years?” Standing ovations No matter who you speak to on Thursday evening, from hospitality people to the members of the Trekkers; people from the security services or employees of André Rieu. The 19th edition only yields happy and warm reactions. And that's around eight o'clock. There is no note played yet. The concert series of the King of the Waltz, it can be concluded, are much more than just an evening of music. Chefs and their colleagues from the restaurants, get a standing ovation when serving the dessert; fans who only see each other here, embrace and who does not look forward to the round of unadulterated Limburg harmony music of Royal Harmony Sainte Cécile from Eijsden? Fraternation of the brotherhood One of Rieu’s slogans, "music unites", is celebrated on Thursday, July 3rd on numerous imaginative sages. The neutral spectator could also say: André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra let people fraternize people and turn Maastricht into a temple of music, fun, and togetherness.

De Limburger, July 3, 2025, By Ronald Colée and Tim Geurts André Rieu chooses his highlights from 20 years of Vrijthof concerts: “That was one of the most emotional moments at the Vrijthof' Twenty years later, he still performs them. But what were the biggest highlights for the maestro from Maastricht himself, from those 139 evenings in Maastricht? Rieu puts his five best memories on paper. 1. The first concert in 2005 “Of course, the very first concert in 2005 was incredibly exciting. Would we succeed? Would we sell enough tickets? It turned out to be a hit It had taken many years and a number of mayors before we not only received permission, but also the full cooperation of Mayor Gerd Leers. He had experienced our concert in the Roda Stadium in 2004 and said: “André, you as a Maastricht resident were such a success in Kerkrade, why not in Maastricht? We are going to change that!” And instead of the one planned concert, it immediately became three sold-out evenings on the Vrijthof. The surprise guest of that first weekend was the unforgettable Benny Neyman, with his beautiful ‘Come with me to Maastricht’. I still get goosebumps when I think about it.” 2. Mirusia as Mary Poppins "The following years saw many highlights, and I still enjoy them when I see them again. For example, there was soprano Mirusia Louwerse, who not only sang wonderfully, but also turned out to be an accomplished circus artist. She 'flew' in the dark, followed by a spotlight, singing as Mary Poppins over the entire Vrijthof, truly unbelievable! Really supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" 3. The waltz by Anthony Hopkins "Another highlight was the fact that Sir Anthony Hopkins had composed a waltz, which I arranged for the Johann Strauss Orchestra. He had come to Maastricht especially from Hollywood, to hear his waltz on the Vrijthof. And he thought it was beautiful too, haha! My orchestra and I were really proud of that." 4. The 100th concert on the Vrijthof “The coronavirus has of course had a great impact on the tradition of the Vrijthof concerts. I remember that at the last concert before the coronavirus I received a beautiful plaque from Mayor Annemarie Penn-te Strake, in honor of our 100th concert on the Vrijthof. Wow, I was so impressed. Tears were literally running down my cheeks. But then it was over. For two years, we were not allowed to perform, not on the Vrijthof and nowhere else in the world.” 5. The first concert after the coronavirus period “The first Vrijthof concert after the coronavirus (2022) was perhaps the most impressive we have ever given. I had invited the Great European Men’s Choir, consisting of the Maastrichter Staar and the opera choirs of Amsterdam, Liege, Aachen, and Cologne. I see all those men rising after the break, with a burning torch in their hands. What a moment that was! I think one of the most emotional ever at the Vrijthof”.

The Limburger, by Pascale Thewissen Sunday, July 6, 2025 Everyone picks up a piece of cake from Rieu at the Vrijthof: "The entire border region benefits from it" André Rieu has started his annual home game at the Vrijthof. About 150 thousand people from all over the world come to Maastricht especially for it. Foreign tour operators, hotels in a radius of more than a hundred kilometers and restaurants in the wide area; they all take a piece of cake. Touring cars are parked in a long row at the Maasboulevard in Maastricht. A little further, on the Meuse promenade, it is teeming with tourists. Jurgen Platz of the German state of Thuringia is one of them. Together with his travel group, he is waiting for the tour boat in a long line at the Stiphout shipping company. He is relieved that the mercury has finally dropped. “Yesterday [July 2, 2025], I walked through Aachen at 38 degrees Celsius. I was happy when I was finally back on the bus and could return to the hotel.” This Thursday morning, he and the rest of the travel group can catch their breath. On the program is a boat trip on the Meuse and in the evening, follows the highlight of the trip: the concert of André Rieu at the Vrijthof in Maastricht. Success The trip, including outings and concert tickets, is organized by Gessert-Reisen from Friedrichroda (Germany). It is one of the many foreign tour operators who ride along on the success of the popular Maastricht violinist and conductor. Platz spends two nights at the Fletcher hotel in Sittard. “That’s fine to do,” he says. If you use the websites of German coach companies, you will see that overnight stays in, for example, Veldhoven and Utrecht (NL) are also offered. English tour operators take it a step further. In the United Kingdom, bus trips to Maastricht are even offered with an overnight stay in Ghent (Belgium). “That means that those people have to sit on the bus for two and a half hours after a concert and only arrive at their hotel in the middle of the night,” said Pierre Rieu, André’s son and business director of André Rieu Productions. “But apparently they’re willing to do it.” Exorbitant prices During the concerts of André Rieu at the Vrijthof, visitors from eighty different countries are present; people from all corners of the world who come to Maastricht especially for him. “Of course, bus companies and travel agencies in Germany, UK, Ireland, Belgium, and so on, see a good merit in it,” Pierre says. According to him, there is nothing wrong with that. “As long as exorbitant prices are not asked and people are well informed about what awaits them.” The economic importance for the region is difficult to underestimate. July was traditionally a quiet month in the Maastricht city center. But since the Vrijthof concerts of André Rieu – this year for the nineteenth time – July has just become a record month. The many concertgoers visit the city during the day, take a terrace, go shopping, and eat. The start of the concert series of the now 75-year-old violinist and his Johann Strauss Orchestra – this time twelve open-air concerts in total – is not to be missed. There are flyers all over the city. The cardboard cut out of the maestro adorns the entrance of shops and boutiques. Special Rieu menus are offered in the many restaurants and eateries. The hotels are full. André Rieu Travel Pierre Rieu already saw a new industry in it ten years ago and founded André Rieu Travel. This offers complete accommodation packages in Maastricht and its surroundings. “From Vaals (NL) to Aachen (Germany) to Maasmechelen and Genk (Belgium)”, says Pierre Rieu. “From super luxurious to simple.” Top of the bill is the VIP package for which he has sought cooperation with an old school friend of his father, Camille Oostwegel senior. Guests who book the VIP package, spend the night and dine in the luxury five-star Kruisherenhotel at the premium touring hotel. They can choose from a guided tour in the castle of Rieu on the east flank of Sint Pietersberg, a backstage tour, or a look inside the studio. In between, they enjoy a private concert of the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. “These people don’t have a minute’s rest,” Rieu jokes. Price tag The total cost is corresponding: 989 euros. Incidentally, this year’s series of concerts is no longer available. The packages were sold out in November. “Kruisherenhotel is the most expensive. But we are not only active in the higher segment. We work with thirty hotels and offer something for everyone, at a maximum of twenty minutes from Maastricht.” André Rieu Travel does not offer bus trips. “The goal is for people to come on their own. From the moment they arrive here, they are completely unburdened.” André Rieu Travel receives 35,000 guests annually. Last week, it was announced that Pierre Rieu has taken the next step in the development of the family empire with the purchase of Hotel Derlon on the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein in Maastricht. He said he had a dream that has become truth. Rieu on the Vrijthof means big business. And it is not only the Maastricht hospitality operators who benefit from this. No one knows exactly how big the spin-off of the Vrijthof concerts is. Research by Zuyd University of Applied Sciences from 2019 showed that the concert series will generate the provincial capital more than thirty million euros annually. Each concert is good for around 11,000 visitors. Revenues In the research – commissioned by the municipality and with the cooperation of André Rieu Productions, which provided data for the origin of the public, among other things – only the effect on Maastricht and on Maastricht companies were included. But the actual revenues are much higher. Because Boels’ warehouse in Sittard is empty when all the terraces in Maastricht are built and the guests do not stay only in Maastricht, but also in hotels in the rest of the province and (far) beyond. And even the St. Servatius Church and the Basilica of Our Dear Lady take advantage, because there are many more candles lit during the Rieu concerts than usual. It is unclear to what extent the surrounding foreign countries also benefit. “Interesting question”, the spokesperson of Tourism Flanders said. We don’t know the answer to this. She refers to the Belgian- Limburg tourism organization “Visit Limburg”. It also has no exact figures, but it does see that the boundary region is pecking a piece of the grain. “When someone books a room in a hotel or a holiday home, he does not normally say why he does so. You won't find out that until they're there. That makes it difficult to really stick figures on it. But about two months ago, we happened to take a survey and asked our industry which events they expect many guests for. André Rieu was remarkably often among them,” said the spokesperson of Visit Limburg. Border area According to about 20 percent of all respondents, spontaneously mentioned the name of André Rieu. This was not only hotels, but also B&Bs and holiday parks in Bilzen, Zutendaal, Lanaken, the Voer region, Maasmechelen, Riemst, and Tongeren (Belgium). “Yes, the entire border region benefits,” the spokesman said. Chairman Hans Bours of the foundation of collaborating catering entrepreneurs in Maastricht (Sahot), can only confirm this. “A lot of people are coming. Of course, it is no longer limited to Maastricht alone. It just depends on what someone is looking for. The city or the tranquility of a village. One likes to stay in a B&B. The other prefers to stay in a small-scale family hotel and another prefers to stay in a hotel of a large international chain. Bours: “If you are from America or from another continent, you are more likely to choose such a large chain. It is familiar and easy to book. But if you have been coming to the Rieu concerts for several years, probably choose faster for something smaller. Denmark This is also how Benny Kjaergaard who traveled from Denmark to Maastricht with his wife and a friendly couple. The company is at the old city theater, the Bonbonniere, to take pictures of the striking building and remains in a total of four days in South Limburg. Fans? “No, we’re not really,” says Kjaergaard. “But it’s something we wanted to experience sometime. This is the second time for us. Nine years ago, we were here for the first time. I liked it so much that we wanted to do it again. We stayed in Valkenburg at the time in a nice family hotel. We are now a guest again.” Sahot President Bours: “The beauty of Maastricht and its surroundings is that we can offer enough types of concepts. There is something for everyone. And, of course, we speak our languages. There is sometimes complain about that. About international students who work in the retail or hospitality industry and only speak English. But that is of course very useful now. Thanks to Rieu, July has become the best month of the year for the hoteliers. Monday and Tuesday are still a bit weak, but from Wednesday to Sunday the occupancy rate is high.” Yes, of course the question is often raised, how it will soon continue if Rieu can no longer perform. “He is unique in what he does. I hope he can do this for a long time, that he will continue to maintain good health for a long time. Because for Maastricht and the surrounding area, that is of great importance. But you can’t close your eyes to it. There will be a day or a time when it will not be so. Then something else has to be thought of. But many people are doing that, I understand. One of those initiatives, for example, is now in the autumn, the brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen (piano players) will perform the Carmina Burana in the MECC (Congress Center). Initially quite small-scale, a handful of times. Just like Rieu started years ago. Coffee grounds The question is always whether it will catch on and whether it can indeed be an alternative to Rieu’s concerts. “. "That's a bit like reading coffee grounds. It all has to work out. You have to have the spirit of the times with you. But it's great that new initiatives are being developed. Of course, finding that 'certain something' is and remains difficult. I think that when Rieu once started, he could not have imagined that this success would befall him. He must have had a certain vision. But then everything has to work. He worked hard for it.” Jean and Jim Hodgkin who, together with their friends Elaine and Ted Wroblewsky, have left with their camper from Birmingham, England, at least hope that the maestro will continue for a few more years. The British concert goers stroll across the Vrijthof and are looking for the board stop for the tourist train that runs through the city center. They enjoy their holidays to the fullest, they tell. “We’re on the road for three weeks. We started in Knokke, on the Belgian coast. We are currently at a campsite in Valkenburg. And after the concert, we leave for Ypres, in the Belgian Westhoek.” Very special Jean and Jim were already in 2018, at a concert by Rieu in Maastricht. And they also attended a performance at home in Birmingham. If it goes well, they will also want to be back in 2026, when Rieu visits the city in the West Midlands again. “But Maastricht is very special. We loved it the first time. That is why we would like to come back again.”

The Limburger, by Tim Geurts, July 9, 2025 Photos by Jean-Pierre Jans and Mitchell Giebels. Translated by Ineke, edited by Alice Leung Ruud Elshout and Ineke Cornelissen saw no less than 140 concerts by Rieu from their hotel room at the Vrijthof: "A holiday to America also costs a fortune" Maastricht/The Hague André Rieu gave 143 concerts at the Vrijthof for the past twenty years. No less than 140 of those performances were attended by Ruud and Ineke Elshout-Cornelissen. Sometimes they saw Rieu from the square, but mostly they sat at their hotel room with a view of the Vrijthof in Maastricht. “It makes you so happy.” For those who doubt whether Ruud (69) and Ineke (82) Elshout-Cornelissen are real André Rieu fans, there is proof after ten minutes of interview: Ruud’s phone rings in the living room in The Hague. The cancan music by Rieu reverberates from the speaker. His wife, Ineke, sees it happen with a smile. “My ringtone is also from Rieu: "The Second Waltz". When I’m in a crowded tram and it suddenly sounds, I’m sometimes embarrassed that Rieu’s entire orchestra is playing.” But to be honest. We no longer doubt whether we are dealing with Rieu fans here. Because who can say that they have seen 140 of the 143 Vrijthof concerts of the Maastricht maestro? Right: Ruud and Ineke. The one time that Rieu added a fourth weekend to the Vrijthof concerts (once in 2022 after the two years of coronavirus lockdown) they decided to skip the last three concerts. Gargling The love for Rieu did not originate in Maastricht. This happened a year earlier in Kerkrade. Ineke: “We had seen several concerts of his, but in 2004 in the Roda stadium, we were completely flabbergasted for the first time. That was with the three-year-old boy Akim Camara playing violin and the entire audience gargling with water to the rhythm of the music. It was a four-hour concert. It was unbelievable.” Her husband is catching up with her. “And that endless row of horses... In Kerkrade, the spark has really been ignited.” (DVD “The flying Dutchman”). Twenty years later, they have seen Rieu all over the world. In Canada, America, Australia, Bahrain, Italy, Malta, they travel everywhere after their hero. “The Dutch people still don’t know how big André is in the world,” Ineke said. “We went to a concert of him in Lisbon. Not normal. They all went crazy.” Actually, recently they were also supposed to go on holiday to Prague (Cz) and Gdansk (PL), to attend two Rieu concerts, but due to an infection on Ruud's leg, they had to cancel the trip. In any case, they don’t like to go on very long trips anymore, just like Rieu himself . “Those airports seem to be getting bigger, when you walk a little slower yourself,” laughs Ineke. The place where they always return is Maastricht, at the Vrijthof.

Binoculars For three weeks, they rent a room in a hotel. Always on the fifth floor and of course, always with a view of the Vrijthof. The first time by chance. The floor of the booked room was open because of a leak, so the couple was moved to the room with a view of the Vrijthof. They never left again. From that spot, Ruud and Ineke watch the vast majority of Rieu concerts. Usually they go on the square once or twice a year, and also once on a Vrijthof terrace with screen, but the majority of the concerts they watch from above. “That is wonderful. Nice in your room with friends. A wine, a snack, the windows open, beautiful music. It’s just great.” And it has to be said: the view is indeed fantastic. The two are clearly in their element, now that Rieu has taken over the city again. “Look there, in the aerial work platform is a cameraman. It is only there on Friday and Saturday, they use the footage for the cinema movie,” says Ineke, picking up her binoculars to see everything even better and spotting her Polish friends at the Vrijthof. You hardly need those binoculars from the room. You can also look at the big screens. It is the day after the first concert, so a cautious conclusion? “The wow factor was lacking a bit this year. There was really nothing new,” Ineke is cautiously critical. Thousands of euros She can be critical, because all those concerts from the hotel is not a cheap affair. Especially after the corona period, the prices have skyrocketed, the two notice. Ruud: “You should know, our hotel room is the most expensive in the hotel. The room rates vary per day. On the days Rieu plays, they are the highest. That’s also the reason we’re only going to do two weeks for the first time this year, instead of three weeks. For those two weeks, we now pay as much as before for three weeks. Everything has to be paid in advance. It runs in the thousands of euros. And then you haven't eaten and drunk anything, and no tickets for the concerts we visit on the square, or a dinner package on a Vrijthof terrace. The parking fee for the car still needs to be added.” Madness, many will say, but the two do not agree. “If you go on vacation to America for three weeks, it’ll also cost you a fortune. This is cheaper.” Because that's how you have to see it, according to Ineke. All Rieu trips are also a holiday for the two. But will it never get boring? 140 times Rieu at the Vrijthof. Is the 141st time just as special? “Every concert is different. The audience makes it different every time.” Fan dinners and fan picnics Ruud and Ineke also met many orchestra members and soloists in those twenty years. Some members of the orchestra like to have contact with the fans, others don’t. The fans know each other well. Ruud and Ineke organized a few fan get-togethers around the concerts in the past. Their fan dinners and the fan picnics in the Stadspark were a huge hit for years. Rieu fans who have dinner together (and do a lot of chatting). First in a restaurant, when it became too small we moved to a larger eatery and then eleven years at the buffet on a Maas cruiser. The highlight was one year with 160 fans on board! They have never spoken to Rieu But still back to those concerts. What exactly is the magic? And has there really never been a moment they thought; we have seen it now? Ineke: “I remember that there was a New Year’s Eve concert in Cologne. Then André said he would come up with a whole new program, but in the end it turned out to be almost the same show. I thought, “Again the same thing?” She starts laughing. “But I really enjoyed that night. The music makes me so happy. There are few things in this world that make me as happy as André's music”. Ineke has never spoken to Rieu or met him. “He’s keeping an extreme distance from his fans. He is so focused on his work and he knows that if he pays attention to one fan, he should do it to everyone. But he knows well who we are,” Ruud is firm. The MH17 disaster And there are exceptions. If it is really necessary, then Rieu will do anything for his fans, Ineke has already noticed. “That was with the shooting down of plane MH17. On board were two Rieu fans who were just on their way home from Maastricht to Australia. The following year, the couple’s family came to Maastricht. To relive their parents’ journey again.” They could of course join the fan dinner and fan picnic, but to attend the concert was more difficult. Tickets for a concert sell out a year in advance and then to get tickets for nine persons... Well, that's kind of hard. “I only sent an e-mail to someone who was a bit higher in the tree of Rieu’s organization,” Ruud says. “A day later, I got the nine concert tickets and the bill.” But it didn't stop there. “Rieu also requested his camera people to check all the images of the 2013 concerts in Australia and 2014 concerts in Maastricht, to find images of the couple in the audience. When the family came here in the Netherlands, Pierre gave them a DVD with these images. That is a great gift”.

Vrijthof in Maastricht In the coming weeks, Ruud and Ineke will be back. And just like always, they will watch the concerts from the room, the square, or a Vrijthof terrace in Maastricht. They have now closed the city in their hearts. Ruud: “I’m honest: if Rieu had come from Utrecht, we would have gone there. We are really here for Rieu. But after 20 years I know Maastricht better than The Hague. When I watch Flikken Maastricht (TV-series about the Maastricht police), I think: hey, that’s not true. You should have turned left at the high bridge instead of right to end up there.” Smiling: “I could lead a historical tour, I think. Being in Maastricht feels like you’re not in the Netherlands.” Secretly, they want to come back for a long time. For example, the hotel is already booked for two weeks for next year and they already bought tickets for the Vrijthof concerts in 2026. “As long as our health and wallet allow it,” is the answer to the question about how long the two keep coming. And as long as Rieu’s health allows it, of course. Ineke: “Everyone is replaceable, except him.”

Ruud and Ineke at home in The Hague.

A room with a view

De Limburger, by Ronald Colée, July 4th 2025 This time it is not Emma Kok, but pan flute player Michel Tirabosco who steals the show at the Vrijthof concerts by André Rieu André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra started their nineteenth series of concerts at the Vrijthof on Thursday evening. At concert 140, it seemed to be mainly to play the tried and tested format, although there were some beautiful musical highlights such as the Swiss pan flute player Michel Tirabosco. The Vrijthof concerts by André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra remain a special phenomenon. In the coming weeks, 150,000 visitors from about a hundred countries will go to the most famous square of Maastricht to experience the magical atmosphere he takes out annually on DVDs and in cinemas. For example, the Syrian brothers Moonther and Moaiyed Alhweidi are at the start of the nineteenth Vrijthof series this Thursday, for the third year present in Maastricht. "André unites people with his music, regardless of origin or religion. I hope he will continue to do that for a long time,” Moonther says. Ten years ago, he fled the violence of war in his homeland and found a safe haven in the Swedish city of Eslov where he was reunited with his twin brother Moaiyed two years ago. The 37-year-old duo has a broad taste in music. From New Age to Classical. From the Greek singer Yanni to André Rieu, since they heard his Second Waltz for the first time in their Syrian home town of Derizor. When Moaiyed also came to Sweden three years ago, the topic of holiday came up after a while. I have then proposed to go to the Netherlands to attend a concert by André Rieu. And now, two years later, this will be our third Vrijthof concert and the fifth Rieu concert in total.” Birthday present Axel Grunewald (61) from the German Obrigheim became sixty years and received a ticket for the Johann Strauss Orchestra from his wife Marina (59), daughter Maike (25), and son-in-law Sebastian Kirch (31) for the Johann Strauss Orchestra. They praise the atmosphere in the square and the terraces. “The great thing about André's music is that you don’t have to be classically educated to enjoy classical music. Even if you are not familiar with classical music, you recognize the pieces he plays.” Nicola (53) and Adrian (57) Smith from the British Derby came - strange as that sounds - a year ago for the first time in touch with Rieu's music and were immediately sold. “It immediately came to the top of my bucket list,” Adrian says. “Even if I can’t waltz. But rocking on the music still has to succeed,” laughs the Englishman. He received the concert with Christmas, as a gift from Nicola with whom he has been married for 35 years and has three children. “I really have been crying. How can I ever make this up? I think with another Christmas gift, but then from me to her.” Rieu himself seems to be relaxed prior to his 140th Vrijthof concert. Three quarters before the start, he greets his fans on the platform of the Theater on the Vrijthof, together with Emma Kok. And when the pregnant choral singer Bibi Ortjens also appears, he proudly alerts the audience of her fat belly. Then laughing with his two index fingers: "No, no, I am not the father" waving. A tried and tested recipe At nine o’clock, it is time to go to the stage with his musicians on the sounds of "Entry of the Gladiators". What unfolds is a concert according to the proven recipe. Where the Christmas concerts in the MECC still harbor some surprises, he performs at the Vrijthof where the majority of the audience comes from far and wide. He taps from his famous barrel of DVD hits: "An der schoenen blauen Donau", the "Sportpalastwalzer", "Radetzky Marsch", "Adieu mein kleiner Gardeoffizier", and the "Mestreechs Volksleed" (Maastricht anthem). Just to name a few. And also the "Feuerfest Polka" by Josef Strauss with the anvil-act, have seen the regular followers pass by once. Michael Jackson’s "Earth Song" brilliantly played by Brazilian singer Carmen Monarcha in 2009. Now, that honor belongs to Emma Kok. And where the super talent from Kerkrade has managed to move the audience to tears in the past two years with her performances by Barbara Pravi’s "Voilà" and her own song "Dancing on the Stars", she fails to touch the audience with this song. The sopranos Anna Majchrzak and Micaëla Oeste, on the other hand, know how to impress with "You Raise Me Up" and Puccini’s "Un bel dí vedremo". Although that may also have to do with the difference in atmosphere before and after the break. Because the audience doesn't really get going until late. It seems like they're only truly awakened when the confetti cannons go off for the first time, three-quarters of an hour before the end. And while the special guest usually provides some extra fireworks, that's not the case this time either. Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones of the Spanish singing duo Los Del Rio seem to have lost all their energy by this late hour. Both 77-year-old men fail to let the "Macarena" and "La Bamba" explode just like in 2018, when they were surprise act in Maastricht for the first time. No, the star of the evening is pan flute player Michel Tirabosco who has been on stage with the Johann Strauss Orchestra before, but never at the Vrijthof. In particular, the Star Wars song "Across the Stars" by John Williams gives the audience goosebumps. And also with the more chewed up "Zorba’s Dance", he knows how to surprise the audience with his virtuoso play and beautiful sound. If anyone wants to think of a somewhat tidal instrument in the pan flute, then after hearing the 57-year-old Swiss at the Vrijthof is a thing of the past. You would wish this Vrijthof series a bit more of these Tirabosco moments.

The highlights of the nineteenth Vrijthof series were the 150 dancing couples, the women of which wore completely new dresses.

De Limburger, July 3, 2025, by Ronald Colée Photos by Mitchell Giebels Heather Jamieson returns to Maastricht where her husband Bill died last year For fifteen years in a row, Bill and Heather Jamieson from New Zealand visited André Rieu's Vrijthof concerts, until fate struck last year and Bill became unwell in his Maastricht hotel room on the day of departure and died three days later. Now Heather has traveled to Maastricht on her own. "This trip feels like a conclusion, because I can't thank all the people who helped me last year enough." “Every time I get out of the elevator, I see the door to room 408. That’s quite a challenge.” Heather Jamieson has returned to the place where her husband Bill died last year at the age of 80: Hotel Du Casque on the Vrijthof in Maastricht. The couple had been in the city for eight days, to attend André Rieu’s concerts, for the fifteenth year in a row. In bed “It was the day of departure. The suitcases were packed. Bill had gone downstairs to say goodbye to everyone and came to sit next to me on the bed. We waited for the call from the hotel reception that the taxi had arrived to take us to the railway station. When I looked next to me, he suddenly lay there.” In panic, she knocked on the door of the neighbours, Ruud and Ineke Elshout-Cornelissen from The Hague, members of the André Rieu fan club, who alerted all the emergency services. “That was on Wednesday July 10th 2024. He officially died three days later, in the hospital in Maastricht. One day after my youngest son Hamish and his wife Fiona had arrived in Maastricht from Sydney.” Heather and Bill had been together for 61 years, 58 of which they had been married. And especially after their retirements – Bill ran a grain and seed company, Heather was financially responsible for a Catholic school foundation – they both decided to take it easy. DVD "In 2005, friends from Sydney drew our attention to a DVD, that we had to see: The Flying Dutchman by André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. On the cover, he was sitting in a red airplane playing the violin. We watched the whole DVD in one go, until two in the morning. That atmosphere, that music, that show and the charming way André talks about everything; we thought it was all wonderful." They decided to do everything they could, to see this violinist and his orchestra live. “We lived in Australia for 35 years before we returned to New Zealand. So the first time was in Adelaide, the second time in Sydney and the third time in Auckland. And when we were both retired, we said to each other: “Let’s go to Maastricht”. Because it seemed that no concert – anywhere in the world – could match that. And that was true. What we experienced here that first time in 2008, exceeded all our expectations. The atmosphere in the run-up to and during the concerts, the meetings with fans from all over the world and the enormous audience participation. We both thought it was wonderful.” Reason to return – with the exception of the two corona years – together with her husband Bill for fourteen years in a row. With different friends and acquaintances from Australia and New Zealand in tow every year. "Maastricht is just a happy place. You really have to make an effort to encounter frowning foreheads here." Heather did not have to think long about whether she would return after the tragic loss of her husband. "What happened last year is of course horrible. But the support I experienced then, is indescribable. Ruud and Ineke never left my side for a moment. A German fan who is a funeral director by profession, helped me prepare the cremation, because taking Bill's body to the other side of the world would have been too much trouble. And he was going to be cremated after his death anyway. Ruud then went with me to the city hall and the court to arrange all the paperwork and to have the urn with ashes safeguarded. In New Zealand you can take it home with you straight away. Here that would take months without the intervention of the judge." Policeman The support didn't stop there. "Because I ended up having to stay eleven days longer, the hotel put me up in a sister hotel of the Amrâth chain. André, Marjorie and Pierre had a bunch of flowers delivered - I still have to frame the card - and gave me, my son and my daughter-in-law a ticket as a gift to attend a third concert. Lily Choy from restaurant La Chine, one of our regular addresses in Maastricht, refused to let us pay when she heard the news. And when I was waiting for André to walk by on the day of the extra concert in front of the Theater aan het Vrijthof, I was tapped on the shoulder. It turned out to be the policeman who had been one of the first to arrive at the hotel after the alarm. He introduced himself and we fell into each other's arms. He didn't have to do that, but he did and that is now typical of the hospitality in Maastricht." Hospitality that she is experiencing again this year. “I had to fly for 26 hours to get here, and because I am less mobile due to bad knees, complete strangers helped me carry my suitcase on and off the train. And when I arrived at Du Casque on Monday, it turned out that I had also been given a room with a view of the Vrijthof. Which I had no idea about. In addition, there was a bunch of flowers on the table with a large, handwritten welcome card and the staff had filled the minibar with not only cool drinks but also all kinds of tasty things.” And it didn't stop there. Heather, mother of two adult sons and grandmother of two granddaughters, had just settled in, when there was a knock on her door. "The girl at the reception who called the emergency services last year was standing at the door. She was also the last person Bill spoke to - during his round of saying goodbye. She wanted to know how I was doing and came to say that if I needed anything at all, let her know. Really, from the moment I arrived here in Maastricht, I felt the love of the city and its inhabitants and I immediately forgot the long journey." Her sixteenth trip to Maastricht is already very special for the resident of the town of Hastings – located on the east coast of the North Island. “I don’t know how often I will come to the Netherlands, I hope often, but of course I am already 80. But with what has happened – coming with two people and going home alone with an urn – this trip still feels like a kind of completion. Because I cannot thank the people who helped me enough.” The desk in room 582 is therefore full of gift bags that will find their destination in the coming two weeks. Two weeks in which she will attend four concerts. Two on the square and two from the terrace of Vrijthof 9. “Last year, before we came to Maastricht, Bill and I first went on a two-week cruise along the British Isles and we only stayed here for eight days. Because I am traveling alone now, there is nothing else on the program and I am staying a bit longer. And thanks to this beautiful view from my room, I can also follow the other four concerts from a bird's eye view.” She is looking forward to the many meetings with old and new acquaintances. "Although those with old acquaintances will be quite emotional at times. Especially with the friends who had already returned home last year before Bill died. It will be strange for them to see me alone for the first time after fifteen years. But I console myself with the thought that this was Bill's happy place. When I had to decide last September whether or not to buy tickets for these Vrijthof concerts, his death was still very fresh. Yet it was the children who said then: daddy wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Go, mommy." And then, at the end of the conversation, she somewhat shyly reveals a secret. "I'll be making this trip again in December. Because for the first time in my life I've bought a ticket for the Christmas concerts at the MECC. But then I'll be flying business class - also for the first time - so that I can at least get some decent sleep during those 26 hours on the plane."

To read more in “our own story” of Maastricht 2024 (scroll down), click HERE.