Teun Ramaekers - Always On An Adventure With André

Always On An Adventure With André

Teun Ramaekers plays the flute in André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra. In 1987 the famous violinist called him and asked him to go on an adventure with him. "Luckily we now receive more respect and appreciation."

Maastricht: The Limburger by Ruud Maas and Peter van de Berg - It is roughly an hour before Teun Ramaekers will leave the Theater on the Vrijthof in his tuxedo and go to the stage on the other side of the square. Dressed in a plaid shirt the 62 year old flutist sits quietly in the hall of the theater. There is no nervousness especially since playing in his own home town suits him the best. Since the end of the eighties he has been travelling with Rieu and has experienced all the successes from very close up. 

Actually Teun has known his 'boss' his entire life. His elementary school was located next to the parental house of the violinist, and so he saw the four years older future world star regularly playing in the street. Years later they learned to know each other much better when they both attended the Liège conservatory and traveled there together. After their educational training, they both went their own way, until Teun's telephone rang in 1987. Rieu called with the question if he would like to join the Johann Strauss Orchestra as flutist since the orchestra was being expanded. "Most advised me against it since the future would be very uncertain, but I was looking forward to go on an adventure," Teun said. "The enthusiasm exploded. The first years were unbelievably fun, we made it seem like a party." Ramaekers quickly realized that Rieu had the 'golden' touch. "All theater performances in the Netherlands and Belgium were sold out, which was not normal. We were just starting out, barely had two lamps for a decor, but yet every place was full. You could see the successes grow. And then, "THE HIT," the Second Waltz, which was the cherry on top of the cake.

Limburger Criticism
Meanwhile Rieu and his large-scale concerts on all the continents has become the most successful artist worldwide. "That André did all this by himself, I find it extremely special." Maybe that could be the reason why André never held back, Ramaekers thinks. "Look at the current cultural climate, lots of curtailments. And Rieu does not want to have anything to do with subsidies, for himself as well as us he has created a totally independent position." But still, there is criticism the flutist acknowledges. Aren't they not playing light classical music seriously enough? Is it so exceptional what Rieu does? "But those you hear less and less. The first years, yes, especially and typically primarily in Limburg. The last few year we now receive more respect and appreciation. And that makes me happy." In the meantime full squares and stadiums alternate. Are you getting used to that?

Concerts like here on the Vrijthof are still very unique. The atmosphere is so very special. No other orchestra can achieve that.

"The first time in the 'Ahoy' (large stadium in Rotterdam, the Netherlands) was amazing, what a crowd. We now frequently perform in such stadiums, so we are getting used to that. And yet, recently we played on the Ceausescu square in Bucharest, Romania, which holds even more people than here on the Vrijthof. Which remains so very special. The atmosphere is so very special. I dare say no other orchestra can manage to do that." Since these two have known each other for such a long time, that does not necessarily mean that they serve as each other's sounding boards. "In the beginning, yes, occasionally, but now André of course has his own family to discuss substantive issues with. When we speak quietly it is primarily about private matters. Music is then not discussed."

Pneumonia
Ramaekers who sits diagonally behind Rieu on stage finds him to be a caring individual. "We do not desert each other. Just take an extra aspirin when you don't feel 100%. We keep going unless it is really impossible. Once André sent me home when I had pneumonia. You can really feel bad, but once you are on stage it is like ecstasy."

The musician is now 62 years old, but has no plans to retire his instrument. "The periods of lengthy concert tours is now behind us. Previously we would be gone from home for four or five weeks, now no longer than two. After that we return to Maastricht and rehearse in the studio. This is an exceptional balance. I cannot predict the future, but as long as André keeps going, I will be there with him."

Thanks to Ineke for the article and John's translation

Frank Steijns - The Best of Two Worlds

The Best of Two Worlds

To be locked up alone in a church tower or to be fully engulfed in the spotlights during a Rieu concert.

  

July 13, 2016. Limburg Newspaper, by Ronald Colé: Maastricht citizen Frank Steijns (45) is the city carillon player and is also violinist with the Johann Strauss Orchestra. "Everything in my life revolves around music."
You don't expect it: The image you have of a carillon player is that of a lonely old man who painfully climbs the stairs of a church tower to practice an ancient and dying profession, just for a tip.

That is not true in the case of Frank Steijns from Maastricht. Born in Bilzen, he has not only been the Maastricht city carillon player since 1997, the 13th in the row since 1672, but is also carillon player for the towns of Weert and Heerlen. And a very good one too! He does not play standard tunes like "Tulips from Amsterdam" or "the Big Ben", no, he also plays current day hits.. When David Bowie passed away "Heroes" rang out over the Vrijthof, and with the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones, "Lady Jane" echoed over the Market. Last week with a tenor and a mezzo soprano, he strewed about the city of Weert the music of Westside Story. And recently during the Booch Festival in Heerlen, heavy metal music could be heard from the church tower.

Sailor Suit

Steijns was 5 years old when he was first allowed to enter the tower of the St. Servaas cathedral with his father Mathieu, to use the new carillon. "In a nice white sailor's suit. Afterwards, when I left the tower it had turned pitch-black, but I knew that my future profession would be: a carillon player". Not really too trendy for a little boy, overweight with glasses and a violin. But that did not bother him. "You just have to do your own thing in life". The English say it so nicely: "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life". I wholeheartedly agree with that.
After secondary school, Steijns choose the Conservatory in Leuven (Belgium), where he studied both violin, music theory and orchestra management, followed by the Royal carillon school in Mechelen. He had hardy received his certificates, when André Rieu called him. Early in the morning at 7.30 AM, the day after my graduation. He was looking for a violinist who could join him the same evening in Nijmegen, where the Four Days Walk festivities were taking place, and asked me if I would like to join him. I said "Yes" and I never left him.

Photographer

So hot! In the meantime Steijns has developed as a Jack-of-all-trades within the Johann Strauss Orchestra. He is not only a first violinist, but also a replacement pianist during performances, and he accompanies the singers on the piano during rehearsals, assists with writing arrangements, and composes waltzes and other new music pieces together with the orchestra's conductor.

Besides that I update the website and I am the in house photographer for the orchestra. André rather likes that, because I know exactly when I can or cannot take pictures.

The question arises as where he finds the time to do all these things. Besides traveling the world 150 days per year with the Maastricht standalone violinist he also performs some 175 carillon concerts per year. Everything I do has to do with music, therefore it is no effort. Besides I can do it at my own leisure. If my body requires it, I take some rest. Actually, when we are on tour, I just have to perform between 8 and 11 PM. So what stops me during the day from visiting a museum, or taking a nap? Or read a book with an headset on?

But it is true that I lead an intense life. Outside the André Rieu concerts I drive about 45.000 kilometers (about 28,000miles) every 6 months in my own car. Not counting the train and plane travels. This is purely for my carillon job. Once I flew to New York, and back during one weekend, where at the prestigious Yale University one of my compositions for carillon and soprano premiered.

Recently I went to a reunion of the conservatory of Leuven.

Of the fifty students, there appeared to only be three who actually still sit on the stage.

Pilot

Yet he would not trade the life he lives for for all the gold in the world. I recently attended a reunion of my conservatory education class in Leuven. It occurred to me that only 3 music students out of 50 were actually still on stage, which included me. Amongst the others were many directors of music schools, a producer of Andrew Lloyd Webber and even a pilot!

Don't even ask him to choose between his job as carillon player or violinist.. That is the same as having to chose between your father or mother. "An impossible choice."
As a carillon player you are anonymously playing in a church tower to people who do not really listen to you, while you are still fully responsible for every note you play, the planning and the repertoire. With Rieu I am just a small cog in the machine and when in a sense, I just show my face, tens of thousands of people start cheering. These two musical worlds do fit and complement each other seamlessly.

Frank Steijns would not want to trade the life he leads as carillonneur and Rieu violinist for anything in the world.

Emotions

Quietly he hopes that as a carillonneur he achieves the same success Rieu has achieved as an orchestra leader. On a smaller scale of course. "I have performed with André Rieu in a small theater with an audience of 200, and admire the vision he has: what works for 200 must also work for 2000. And if it works for 2000, than it must also work for 20.000. So if I am successful in touching 2 people with my carillon, then that must also to work with 20". 

Hence the tirelessness in which he continues to promote his instrument. "In the 18th and 19th century the carillon was the instrument of the ordinary people who could not afford a live Mozart or Offenbach concert. And it currently is still the same. And so recently I met a lady who emigrated in 1946 to Australia and had recently returned to the city of her birth, Maastricht, to attend a Rieu concert. The buildings were the same but she did not recognize the city any more. Until she walked over the St. Servaas Bridge and heard the carillon of City hall. Then she realized she was home. Doesn't that say enough?

Thanks to John for the Translation

Rieu Not Yet Finished With Drone

Rieu Not Yet Finished With Drone

Limburger by: Laurens Schellen

Where has it been? The in the beginning of July confiscated high-tech drone of André Rieu. Behind lock and key in a secured police depot somewhere in the Netherlands. As confirmed by the Aviation Oversight Commission.

The very much talked about drone of André Rieu which the police confiscated last month in Maastricht after one of his seven sold out performances on the Vrijthof, is still behind lock and key. In one of a specially equipped and well-guarded 'property seizure' installations of the national police according to spokesperson Dennis Janus of the Aviation Oversight Commission in Amsterdam. Janus will not reveal the exact location for security reasons.

Risky More than a month after the controversy surrounding the Rieu-drone it is still unclear whether the orchestra leader's unmanned aircraft will be returned to him. The costly little helicopter, weighing several kilos and equipped with high-tech equipment, circled in early July two evenings illegally over the Vrijthof recording the concerts for a feature film about the concert series. According to the police, flying a drone over a busy city center is by definition risky, and is therefore forbidden if flown without permission. Moreover, Maastricht is located in the approach path of arriving aircraft landing in the municipality of Beek. 

According to John Drummer, a professional drone pilot, drones cannot be flown there under any circumstances. In answer to questions by this newspaper, Janus indicated that the investigation in this matter is still ongoing. "That should be completed within a few weeks and then the case will be transferred to the public prosecutor. Ultimately it will be the national public prosecutor for aviation matters who will decide on the punishment and penalties," Janus explained. The severity of the case is not yet known. "I cannot and will not further elaborate about this case. Normally you will not go to jail for flying a drone illegally. Unless you place air traffic or people in danger." Case laws show that in most cases fines are imposed. Also permanent confiscation of a 'bad' drone is a possibility. 

Spectacular.  Production manager and son, Pierre Rieu, was  not available for comment yesterday, but was able to save the spectacular recordings by the flying robot in time. By the end of July, all the Vrijthof recording done by almost thirty cameras, were aired via satellite connection as a worldwide premier to almost two thousand cinemas. Just in England alone, where the movie played in almost 550 cinemas, receipts for the just one weekend showing were nearly one and one half million pounds. A huge contrast in comparison with the minuscule price tag of that mini-aircraft, which experts estimate to be between ten and twenty thousand. 

Translation by John 

"Invent Design" Makes an LED-Dress for André Rieu's Concert Tour

"Invent Design" Makes an LED-Dress for André Rieu's Concert Tour

"Invent design" transformed a wedding dress into a rainbow dress with LED lighting for the new André Rieu concerts which recently took place  at the  Vrijthof in Maastricht. Soprano Mirusia Louwerse, who wore the dress, changed from a white to a colorful appearance during the song "Over the Rainbow".

In collaboration with the tailor and Maurice Verbeek lighting designer, along with André Rieu, "Invent Design" examined as to where in the dress to position the LEDs so they would present a smooth but uniform color.

"The LEDs had to present a rainbow effect horizontally, as well as vertically and diagonally. "With appropriate advice by "Invent Design" and the company's flexibility that was not a problem," said Verbeek.

Translation and Photos by John

Happy NINTH Birthday To The Harmony Parlor!!!