"We're Going To Light It Up Again" Donij van Doorn

"We're going to be blazing again" 

A black hole. Gloom. Sleepless nights. Musicians from the Johann Strauss Orchestra, like their boss André Rieu, were on an emotional rollercoaster because of the pandemic. But they have not been idle. And look forward to the first concert after the crisis: "That will be an explosion of joy."

BY ROB COBBEN, "de Limburger

Photo:Jean-Pierre Jans

Name: Donij van Doorn Residence: Nieuwegein 

Age: 35 With Johann Strauss Orchestra since 2014

Role in Orchestra: Soprano

In the beginning she liked all that free time. Spending a lot of time with her boyfriend Fabian Egli, who is also a musician and who she usually doesn't see very often, as both are on tour for a large part of the year. It looked a bit like a holiday: sitting in the garden just the two of us, having a glass of wine. And the salary continued to come in, thanks to the government. But soon the mood changed, says Donij van Doorn. The walls started to close in on her. And she lay in bed at night worrying. “I come from Twente, I have a down to earth nature. And a positive one too. But I still became insecure and scared. Wondered how we would go through this tough time. And whether there will still be an orchestra in the future," says the soprano.

In the meantime the peace in her head has returned a bit. “Pierre (son of André Rieu, RC) said in an interview that we will be fine if next year's Vrijthof concerts can continue. That will be twenty instead of twelve. With the advent of vaccines, the future looks a lot brighter. I cling to that. I think it will be fine. ”

She has not exactly stood still in recent months. She rehearses many hours every day and has also taken singing lessons again: "I want to make the most of all the colors in my voice and if we can perform again, I want to be even better than before." She also frequently visited the physiotherapist and gym. “Last year I played too long with a back injury. I often had to endure the pain to get on stage. That injury has now almost disappeared. In that sense, the corona crisis was convenient. ”

With the advent of vaccines, the future looks a lot brighter. I cling to that. It will be alright. Donij van Doorn

Mini concerts

During this spring's lockdown, she and her boyfriend gave mini concerts at various care centers. “That was a very nice experience. We have been to thirty different locations. Sometimes we stood there playing music for three hours. In the open air, even in the rain, for people who were forced to sit indoors and were not allowed to receive visitors from family or friends. We have had many great responses. Really very rewarding work. ”

Family visit

There was also time to visit her family in the Achterhoek (Area in the eastern part of the Netherlands) and make a theater performance together with her partner: The Lady and the Tramp. “We were able to perform it about eight times, for a small audience. The repertoire? Very diverse, from Frank Sinatra, musical songs to fierce opera. And with sketches. We hope to be able to do that more often. ” But the biggest wish is to be able to perform with "her family" again soon. "The emotions you feel when you play in front of such a large and cheerful audience with all of you cannot be described."

Thanks to John for the article and translation!