The preparations for the Christmas concerts 2025 started already in May! RTV Maastricht published the following article. Mastreechter Staar (male choir) recruits singers without experience. May 17, 2025, RTV Maastricht, By Susan Sosef. Photo: Vincent v.d. Bergh. The royal choir Mastreechter Staar has started recruiting twenty men under the age of sixty, without singing experience, to participate in André Rieu's Christmas concerts in December 2025 at the MECC. The campaign is part of a long-term collaboration between the male choir and the violinist. With this initiative, the choir wants to draw attention to male choir singing in an accessible way. The selected participants follow a prepared trajectory under the guidance of conductor Hennie Ramakers. In June, four free singing clinics will take place in Centre Céramique, Maastricht. This will be followed by rehearsals with the choir, focusing on the Rieu repertoire. In November, there will be joint rehearsals with the orchestra in André Rieu's studios. Participants will be given access to practice material to prepare at home. The project culminates in a series of Christmas concerts in December, where the participants will share the stage with the Mastreechter Staar and the Johann Strauss Orchestra.

Performance of the Mastreechter Staar male choir. Photo: Vincent v.d. Bergh.

Performance of the Mastreechter Staar on stage with André Rieu in the 2008 Vrijthof concert. (DVD: Live in Maastricht II). Click HERE to watch more of this outstanding concert on our website.

Photo right: The unforgettable Maastricht Vrijthof concert in 2012. Soloist: Bèr Schellings sang a very impressive Russian song (The 12 robbers). (Picture by John). You can find the rehearsals of this concert on our webside, click HERE and scroll down to the second part.

Photo left: Male Choir Mastreechter Staar in their usual costumes.