From André’s official website where he introduces his orchestra members: Els Mercken is our cheerful blonde Belgian violinist. There is never a dull moment when she is around, and her happy laughter can often be heard ringing through the building. Together with Monica Das, Els is always trying out new hairstyles for performances. You won’t be surprised to hear that she’s one of the players who laugh most in performance. Els is really multi-talented. She studied the violin at the music academy and law at the university in Maastricht, both at the same time! Her dream was to become a good lawyer, and she did get a distinction in her law degree, but finally her love for the violin proved more compelling than the law books. I am very happy to have her playing in my orchestra, but I must say it’s a loss for the Dutch legal system: think how much fun court cases would be with her as one of the lawyers!

September 21, 2018: Els Mercken (41) posted a promotional video on Facebook and Twitter. She lives in the Belgian town of Lanaken, which is just across the border, close to Maastricht. Normally the fans don’t hear much about Els Mercken, but here she tells that she recently joined a political party (“CD&V”) in her hometown and that she has been elected in the 11th place. She was asked to join the political party by Danny Cauberg, whom she met at the tennis club. They like to stand up for children to be able to develop a hobby of their choice. The video was recorded in Lanaken’s most beautiful building: the library. Language: Dutch.