New Year's Concert Amsterdam

WWW.ANDRERIEUMOVIES.COM

New Year’s Concert January 5, 2019: Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam.

The Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam is a big concert hall with a capacity for 17.000 people. It is situated in the Amsterdam South-East area (exit train station: “Amsterdam-Bijlmer-Arena”), far from the historic city center (For the historic city center you need to take the train to “Amsterdam Central Station) and located next to a big soccer stadium, named after Dutch soccer legend: the Johan Cruyff ArenA, which is the home base of the Amsterdam soccer team: Ajax.

André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra performed their traditional New Year’s concerts in the Ziggo Dome on January 5, 2019 and perform in Antwerp (Belgium) on January 7, 2019. The fans stayed in several different hotels, all within walking distance of the concert hall and for the second year we organized a fan dinner at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in their Scandinavian Restaurant “GARD” room. We had 12 fans attend from 4 different nationalities, and 6 of the 12 fans came from Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden), is n’t that funny?? The others were from England and the Netherlands. It has also become a tradition to have a fans dinner prior to the concert and an after party somewhere around the vicinity, in a (hotel) bar. Eating, drinking, chatting with fan friends belongs to the André music! Amigos para siempre! (friends forever).

Ulrica Jönsson from Sweden. Elegant as always. Today was her birthday!

The Danish couple Kirsten and Torben Esbensen celebrated their 100th concert today. They have attended every concert in Maastricht from the very beginning in 2005, and that is exactly how long we have know them. (Photo to the right: with Ineke).

Hard core fans Jill Bagaley, Sally Hodges (UK) and Kerstin Lundberg from Sweden. Photo to the right: Margaret Crisp (UK), and new fans: Gunilla Burlin and her friend (Sweden).

Photo to the left: Ruud and Jeanette Heijkoop (from the Netherlands).

Some fans traveled on, from Amsterdam to Antwerp.

The tracklist: Seventy six trombones - Blaze away - Volare - Tiritomba - the Holy City (was not played: the tenors sang Nessun Dorma instead) - Concerto d’Aranjuez - Circus Renz (Frank/Marcel) - Snow waltz - the White Horse Inn. Intermission. The lonely Shepard (Teun) - You raise me up (Anna) - Olé Guapa (was not played) - the sopranos sang Halleluja instead - the dancers came in with Lara’s Theme - Poliushko Polie - Kalinka (St. PetersburgTrio) - Caro Nome (Donij) - the Blue Danube - Ode to Joy.

Snow in the hall: always hilarious!

We spotted a new face in the choir: Belinda Evans.

Above: André singing Volare…Wohohoho…… To the right: wheelchair waltzing. Teun Ramaekers and André Rieu, friends for over 50 years, going all the way back to the conservatory.

Meeting more friends during the intermission! Bebe Maggiori, John and Judith Fifield, Jean Nixon, Edna Welton (UK). We noticed that the entire Rieu family was present, including grandchildren, to celebrate the first concert in the New Year. We love the Rieu family and for us it is natural not to disturb their private family gathering.

André Rieu Travel posted a video of the waltzing couples, recorded from high above. What a wonderful view!!

To finish this page we like to show you some pieces of art from the JAZ Hotel, and a photo posted on Facebook by Bela Mavrak during his Amsterdam walk. Photo credits: Sally, Jeanette, Kerstin, Ulrica, Bela, Ruud, Ineke.

Two Dutch TV programs paid attention to the Amsterdam New Year’s concert, including interviews with André. Of course it is Dutch spoken and we’ll work on a translation in English. We need time to have that done. So in a few days the English subtitles will appear. Translation by Ineke/John. First video: SBS Shownieuws with Koos van Plateringen. Second video: RTL Boulevard with Ronald Molendijk, DJ and music producer.

Dear Ronald Molendijk, keep your promise…… call Bruce!!