People can’t live without music. By Jos Cortenraad, Nummer 1 Magazine, the Netherlands. Photography Marcel van Hoorn. Translation by John de Jong. Donij van Doorn is one of the two soprano soloists in André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra. For five years she traveled with the company led by the Maastricht violinist across all continents, until the COVID-19 virus abruptly ended the tour in March 2020. "Believe me, that first concert next year will be second to none, an explosion of emotions, fun and hope." Does she miss the performances? Dumb questions shouldn't be asked, but this one comes very close. Of course Donij van Doorn craves the stage, the roaring applause of the audience, her colleagues, the positive stress, the singing. "But," she says this grey morning in December, "it's not about me, it's about André or the Johann Strauss Orchestra, it's about all those people we can't perform for. People can't live without music, without being together, without culture. Wherever we go, people become emotional, sing, dance, move, cry. They grab each other and blend into that world of beautiful music. The fact that that connection is not possible now affects me the most. And that will be no different for other music companies and theater people. This pandemic affects the creative sector and its audience in the heart. That's why my own desire to be on the stage dwarfs me." Rest That particular day in March has been etched in Donij van Doorn's memory. "We'd just had our first performance in Florida when Donald Trump announced the lockdown. A plane was ordered, the gear loaded and forty-eight hours later we were all at home. Dramatic, of course, but we didn't realize then what a year this was going to be. I myself was just recovering from a back injury and my friend Fabian and I wanted to decorate our new house in Nieuwegein. A few weeks of rest were not inconvenient in that aspect. But that quickly turns into unrest. You start worrying anyway. About your health, your income. Fabian is self- employed as a singer, my salary, however luckily continues. But what does the future bring? There have been sleepless nights. At the same time, we've done great things. The two of us took a tour of at least thirty nursing homes in the area. Sung in parking lots and in front of balconies. No, no stage in Tokyo, London, Mexico, Miami, Santiago, Maastricht or anywhere else. But in a different way, so beautiful and moving. You see old and sick people having fun for a while, singing along behind their windows. More than ever, you realize how music and singing affect people." Optimistic This is a little different from the frenzied crowds who normally book a ticket for André Rieu and his orchestra's concerts. "Yes, and I hope we'll be able to do it again next year. Of course, I'm an opera singer by profession. I love performing. The entourage, the positive stress, the adrenaline at a solo. And yes, I'm optimistic. There are vaccines available, I expect that in the summer we will be at the Vrijthof in Maastricht for a wonderful series. And then those international tours come again. Really, André Rieu will do anything to get going with them. He's healthy, just as ambitious as when I first met him. And yes, this is going to cost him a lot of money. But he doesn't worry about quitting. Even if he has to sell his Stradivarius. And you know why? Because he's especially concerned about us, his team. I don't know anyone who's so caring, so the honor is to put off to others." Maastricht Donij van Doorn (1985) grew up in Twente, in a family with two younger brothers. At a promising age she was an accomplished pianist, she always sang and obtained her first serious opera role at the age of fourteen. At seventeen she made the final switch to singing. "Crazy," she says looking back, "all of a sudden I lost the pleasure of playing the piano. Singing went by itself. After my high school I auditioned at the conservatory in Maastricht and I was immediately allowed to join in my studies with the famous Mya Besselink. Six years long, bachelor and master, a wonderful study time in Maastricht." During her study she already came in contact with André Rieu. She substitutes for an ill member of the regular sopranos, makes some trips abroad and even in 2009 is offered to stay with the company. "I hesitated. Playing in an orchestra like that is a dream. I also really like this genre with its cheerfulness, the burgundy, the exuberant. But I wasn't ready. At Opera Studio Nederland I was able to mature during my two years in many different roles. At that time I was taking lessons with Roberta Alexander, one of my role models." Joy In 2015 there is another call from Maastricht and since then Donij van Doorn and Anna Majchrzak have been the regular sopranos in the Johann Strauss Orchestra. "I'm enjoying myself to the fullest. Always and everywhere we bring people into ecstasy, we bring joy. It's great to travel the world and sing with such a close-knit team. We're really attached to each other, and we have too. You're constantly with one another. And yes, it's also show and hard work. We rehearse and practice constantly, during the tours it starts in the early morning and travel to late in the evening, study, sound checks, perform. And make sure you stay fit. Getting a cold is something you really don't want." Striking a chord Donij van Doorn is an emotional woman. Her eyes fill up when she talks about her father who died ten years ago. "He and my mom have always encouraged me to continue in music," she says. '" job with André Rieu; He would have been so proud. Of course I am. And you know what really makes me proud? If André himself becomes emotional during an aria. Then I know I really touched that sensitive chord. Make no mistake, André and his wife Marjorie are also very emotional people." Does Donij van Doorn still have plans for the future? "Of course. Without dreams, someone cannot live. I would like to reprise the role of Violetta in Verdi's opera La Traviata. Yes, I know, with Violetta, it does not end well. But it's such a beautiful and sensitive story. For now, however, the goal is to get back on stage with the orchestra. I can't wait"'