Violinist Alina-Lin Jong Paintings

Travel Impressions by Rieu Orchestra On Canvas

People, colors, landscapes. A journey with the orchestra of André Rieu is never boring. Since 1991 Alina-Lin Jong has been a violinist in the world famous orchestra. Many impressions she experiences during the journeys she translates into colorful paintings with quirky abstracts. For Saturday and Sunday the Wynja studio will combine paintings, sculptures and music in an extraordinary triptych exhibition. In addition to paintings by Alina Lin there will also be sculptures by Trudy Steegh. The exhibition starts with the third form of art: music. Accompanied on the piano by her partner Ruud Merx, Alina Lin will perform concerts on both days.

While studying at the Conservatory of Maastricht, Alina Lin joined Rieu's orchestra through one of her classmates. "Back then we were only with thirteen musicians. We rehearsed weekly and had a couple of gigs a year in Limburg." The orchestra broke through in 1994 with the Second Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich, it became a hit and since then, the orchestra travels all over the world. "We just returned from South America. Santiago had four sold-out concerts and in Lima 17.000 people attended a concert . "You can make people happy with music everywhere", she says. "Critics do not find the Rieu orchestra a classical orchestra. That does not matter. It's not a competition. Many people experience classical music as being heavy. We play a much more accessible, lighter repertoire. And the audience is allowed to chat or dance. That's what makes it so special."

Alina-Lin met her husband Ruud Merx in the orchestra. "He is the trombonist who balances the trombone on his chin." Ruud will also be at the Wynja studio to accompany his wife on the piano. On Saturday and Sunday they will perform a concert of about an hour. The program remains a surprise. "It is a light repertoire and we are taking a small world trip. Ruud is quite excited about it. And: one is allowed to sing along."

In addition to her part-time job with André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra, Alina Lin paints. "It's for relaxation. I love color and shape. Sometimes something unaware of my travels appears in the paintings. "In fact an Australian soprano discovered a lane from Brisbane in one of the paintings. "It is very nice to hear that people recognize something."

During the exhibition Trudy Steegh will show sculptures which exude a sense of security, belonging and power. She captures emotions in stone. Her sculptures show people's important emotional moments. Intimate, loving and with a melancholy character. Trudy works from her own emotions and spirituality. Stone, perception and intuition are for her the guidance for a figurative design 'which make you ponder for a while.' Picture: Sietse - Thank you to John for the Translation and Benny Geets for sending the article.