More than 2.8 million viewers, concerts in Europe, China, and North America, national PBS broadcast in the USA, and joint projects with Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Simply Red, and other world music stars. All this is the story of Guido Dieteren and his “The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra.” On December 22, this large-scale “pop meets classic” project will come to Lithuania for the first time and hold the “Christmas Show: when classical music jokes!” at Kaunas “Žalgiris” Arena.
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However, the intriguing beginning of this project’s story is connected with a name known to almost every orchestral show fan in Lithuania – André Rieu. Even before creating his own orchestra, Guido Dieteren played first violin in André Rieu’s Strauss orchestra. Later their paths diverged: Dieteren chose to create his own musical formula – not to copy Rieu’s world of waltzes, but to push the orchestra closer to pop music, rock, film music, and contemporary stage show.
If André Rieu proved that a classical orchestra can become a mass spectacle, Dieteren raised another question: what happens if the orchestra also becomes a pop band, and the conductor is not afraid to joke on stage, grab the violin himself, and instantly turn a solemn symphonic climax into a party?
From first violin to his own orchestral world
Guido Dieteren was born in 1974 in the Limburg region of the Netherlands – in a family where the conductor’s baton was almost hereditary. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were conductors. Guido himself became a concertmaster and soloist of various orchestras early on, studied at the Maastricht Conservatory, and later chose the path of conductor, violinist, arranger, and composer.
In 1998, together with his childhood friend, pop music keyboardist Falco Borsboom, he began creating a new orchestral production. Thus, “Guido’s Orchestra” was born, today known as “The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra.”
Over more than 25 years, the project has grown into an international production. According to the official biography of “The Maestro,” Guido and his orchestra have performed in Europe, China, and North America, organized international TV shows, released gold-certified CDs and DVDs, and their live performances have been seen by more than 2.7 million people.
Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross – names showing the project’s scale
The history of “The Maestro” also includes an important measure of scale – the artists with whom Guido Dieteren worked as a music director, arranger, or creative partner. Among them are Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Simply Red, DJ Afrojack, Alessandro Safina, Marco Borsato, and others.
A large part of this story consists of the “Symphonica in Rosso” arena concerts held in the Netherlands and Belgium, where the orchestra became the musical foundation for world-class artists. These were not chamber classical evenings but large-scale productions where the orchestra’s sound was created for arena audiences.
Another sign of international recognition is the USA. In 2024, “The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra” signed a contract with PBS, and six hours of their concert TV programs were scheduled to be broadcast on PBS stations nationwide. At that time, the project’s YouTube channel had accumulated nearly 75 million views and surpassed 200,000 subscribers.
Not “the second André Rieu” – a different formula
It is difficult for Guido Dieteren to avoid comparison with André Rieu – both come from the same musical world of Limburg in the Netherlands, both are conductors and violinists, both aim to bring orchestral music beyond the academic concert hall. However, Dieteren himself defines his direction differently: “pop meets classic.”
“The European Pop Orchestra” combines the sound of a classical orchestra with the energy of a pop music band. The program can include classical music, rock, film music, global pop hits, and Guido’s own compositions. The German press has described his performances as large-scale, emotionally infectious, and professionally entertaining.
Therefore, in Kaunas, it will be important not to look for “the second André Rieu,” but to see where the musician who played first violin in his orchestra went when he decided to create his own rules.
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A conductor for whom a serious face is not a professional duty
Humor in “The Maestro” projects is not an accidental addition. Guido himself plays the violin, interacts with the audience, playfully provokes musicians, and combines professional precision with theatrical lightness. When it seems that a serious symphonic climax is beginning, the stage can suddenly turn in a completely different direction.
The scale of this principle is well illustrated by an earlier “The European Pop Orchestra” project: about 100 musicians and singers, a huge choir, and a 40-meter screen were involved in filming a “McDonald’s” commercial – all the music was performed live, conducted by Guido Dieteren.
A love story that became part of the show
For more than two decades, Guido has shared the stage with his wife, soprano soloist Wendy Kokkelkoren. Their story began in 2001 when Guido was offered to meet a young opera soloist. He was captivated by Wendy’s voice, and soon she became a permanent vocal soloist of the orchestra, and their professional chemistry turned personal – the couple married in 2006.
Wendy is a classically trained opera soloist. She studied solo singing and opera at the Maastricht Conservatory and appeared in “Opera Zuid” productions while still studying – including Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” and Monteverdi’s “Orfeo.”
On stage, Guido and Wendy create a contrast: he is an expressive conductor and violinist, she is a soprano soloist who brings classical vocal technique into pop music arrangements. Offstage, they raise two daughters and call themselves a musical family.
On December 22, the experiment will be tested at “Žalgiris” Arena
The Kaunas concert will be created as a large-scale Christmas arena show with “The European Pop Orchestra,” Wendy Kokkelkoren, vocal soloists, special arrangements, festive repertoire, and visual stage production.
The date was chosen deliberately – December 22 is the height of the Christmas anticipation, with only two days left until Christmas Eve. The organizers emphasize that “Christmas Show: when classical music jokes!” is created not as a traditional academic concert but as an evening where musical professionalism must meet emotion, humor, and entertainment.
And it is in Kaunas that the Lithuanian audience will be able to answer for the first time the question from which this whole story began: did Guido Dieteren, who was first violin in André Rieu’s orchestra and chose his own path, create an even bolder orchestral show formula?
“The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra – Christmas Show: when classical music jokes!” in Kaunas will be the only project concert in Lithuania. The entire festive program on December 22 will be presented in one evening at Kaunas “Žalgiris” Arena. Tickets – Bilietai.lt.
Video:
THE MAESTRO & THE EUROPEAN POP ORCHESTRA
CHRISTMAS SHOW: WHEN CLASSICAL MUSIC JOKES!
DECEMBER 22 | KAUNAS “ŽALGIRIS” ARENA
THE ONLY CONCERT IN LITHUANIA
TICKETS: BILIETAI.LT
Additional information by email: info@theamazingevents.eu
