De Limburger, Culture & Media December 5, 2025 By Ronald Colée Photos by Harry Heuts Teun Ramaekers has been with André Rieu's orchestra the longest of all: 'I'll never forget that emergency landing in Reykjavik.' Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra will begin the fifth annual Christmas concert on Saturday at the MECC in Maastricht. Teun Ramaekers (71) from Maastricht is also there. The flute and piccolo player is one of the musicians who has been part of the Johann Strauss Orchestra from its inception. "I have an idea. I want to try something. But I don't have the money to pay you out yet. Do you want to join?" That was the question André Rieu asked Teun Ramaekers 38 years ago. The two Maastricht natives knew each other from the Conservatory in Liège. Rieu had studied violin there, and Ramaekers had studied flute, chamber music, and composition. "On the advice of André's father. He and my father knew each other, so when he heard I wanted to go to the conservatory, Rieu senior said to my father: 'Let him go to Liège, that education is higher attributed'. André junior didn't know Ramaekers at the time. "I was five years younger and had been in class with his younger brother Robèrt. So, I knew about him and had seen André sometimes, but I only really got to know him on the train to Liège. After that, he came to our class to listen and he was also present at my exam." Try-out That experiment became the Johann Strauss Orchestra. "André wanted a more extensive Salon orchestra with a different sound color, with which he could also play other pieces than just salon music. That's why he wasn't just looking for classical musicians. He wanted the joy of making music to be paramount. He preferred things to be a bit looser and more cheerful, a bit less stiff. And he knew I was working with other genres, like pop and folk." And so Ramaekers, who had already been teaching at the conservatory for seven years at the time, joined the Johann Strauss Orchestra, which had only twelve musicians. "That quickly grew to twenty or twenty-five with the addition of trumpeters, percussionists, an accordionist, and extra strings. A very pleasant group of people. Back then, almost all of us were in our twenties and thirties. André and I, along with bassist Jean Sassen, were the oldest." When the big breakthrough came in 1995 with the Second Waltz, Ramaekers gave up his job at the Liège conservatory and became a full-time musician with Rieu. "We toured extensively throughout the Netherlands for the Second Waltz. Those first years were a real adventure. We traveled to all the city theaters and gave about two hundred concerts a year. Now we only do about a hundred. Our technical team back then consisted of just father and daughter Druif, and all the materials—some decor pieces and a few more lamps—fit into one small truck." A bold step Giving up his job was a bold step. "I was already married to Lucile, had two young sons who are now 40 and 38, and so I followed my heart, not my mind. I thought I probably wouldn't play with the Johann Strauss Orchestra until I retired. We were successful, but the question was for how long. However, the atmosphere, was the decisive factor. If I had continued teaching, I would certainly have gotten a burnout. And now, 38 years later, I'm years past retirement age, and I'm still a member of the orchestra. So afterwards, I can say I made the right decision at that time." The fact that Ramaekers has a slight advantage over the maestro is evident from the fact that he is the only one allowed the freedom to improvise. "Because André knows I used to do that before I joined the orchestra. But I only improvise on the more relaxed music. With classical music, we follow the composer. If he hears me play a beautiful line during a rehearsal or performance, he says: wonderful, just leave it. For me, however, it's a challenge to play something different every evening. In the beginning, for instance, we played Adieu, mein kleiner Gardeoffizier, very closely. Now we've been playing that piece in three parts on the piccolo for years. That was never in the sheet music, but arose from a spontaneous invention." Even as a grandfather of three granddaughters, Ramaekers still travels the world with Rieu. The most beautiful places we've played? South America comes to mind first, because of its exuberant and exotic atmosphere, the colors, and the smells. Every performance there is one big party. But the relaxed atmosphere in Australia also really appeals to me. The people there are just as enthusiastic, but less boisterous. Japan, where we've been five or six times now, also remains very special because of the completely different culture. I only had to miss our trip to China in 2014 because I was operated on my hand. Emergency landing Incidents he will never forget include fleeing the unrest-ravaged capital Santiago, Chile, within an hour in 2019 and an emergency landing in Reykjavik. "An engine had failed. We didn't even notice. Only after we landed and saw all those ambulances and fire trucks parked next to the runway and the white lines around the flight attendants' noses did the seriousness of the situation sink in. Although the pilots reassured us that evening at the bar that this happens so rarely that we'd have to keep going for another 38 years before it happened again." The memory of the first Vrijthof concert in 2005 also remains indelible. "Before that, we had played in the bandstand on the Vrijthof square once before, with Beppie Kraft or someone like that. But there was no comparison. What amazed us was that André immediately managed to fill the entire square that first time. And with Benny Neyman as a special guest, who would pass away three years later. André had, of course, worked incredibly hard to make it a success, but that first time, it seemed as if everything went smoothly. That theatrical atmosphere he managed to create in the open air, and the audience's enthusiasm that evening, will stay with me forever." For 38 years, Ramaekers has witnessed firsthand how everything on the Vrijthof square contributes to the atmosphere. André wants to give people a good, enjoyable time. And that also applies to the Christmas concerts. As a musician, you don't even realize you're playing in a building anymore. He transforms the MECC into one big Christmas market with a Dickensian atmosphere, complete with an ice rink and brass ensembles playing Christmas carols on every street corner. Social media He's pleased to see that the audience is also getting younger. "Initially, there were mainly retirees in the audience, but now you see more and more middle-aged visitors, including children. I think that's also because André and his orchestra have become very active on social media. And so, he offers two completely different experiences in his hometown. In the summer, that global atmosphere in the sunshine with a good glass of wine, and in the winter, that cozy, warm, and welcoming atmosphere." How long will Ramaekers continue? If it were up to him, a very long time. "I'm 71 now, but I still love doing it. I'm healthy and can still play well. So there's no reason to stop. Although, of course, I have to keep things going with my family. In that respect, it's nice that we're no longer doing two hundred performances a year, but only half that. Partly because the venues where we play have become much bigger. Although there are also the necessary rehearsals and CD recordings in the studio in Amby. But you don't notice those. They feel just like you’re going to have a cup of coffee with each other."