“The Maestro” comes to Riga for the first time: a Christmas show where even classical music has a sense of humour

Fourth-generation conductor Guido Dieteren, his wife, opera soloist Wendy Kokkelkoren, and “The European Pop Orchestra” will present “Christmas Show: When Classical Music Gets Funny!” at Xiaomi Arena in Riga on 20 December – an evening of music, emotion, theatricality and musical humour.

He grew up in a family where the conductor’s baton is passed down almost like a family heirloom. Guido Dieteren’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father were conductors, while Guido himself became a conductor, violin soloist, arranger and composer. His projects have performed across Europe, China and North America and, according to his official biography, have been seen live by more than 2.8 million people.

On 20 December, the musician known worldwide by the stage name “The Maestro” will arrive in Riga together with “The European Pop Orchestra” and his wife, opera singer Wendy Kokkelkoren. Xiaomi Arena will host the project’s only Christmas concert in Latvia – “Christmas Show: When Classical Music Gets Funny!”.

The organisers emphasise that this will not be a traditional classical music evening. In a large-scale arena show, popular and classical music will meet romance, energy, theatricality, Christmas atmosphere and one of the project’s most distinctive features – musical humour.

A conductor who does not consider a serious face part of the job

“The European Pop Orchestra” combines the sound of a classical orchestra with the energy of a pop band. This allows it to move freely between genres – from classical and film music to world-famous pop hits. Their concerts therefore feel more like dynamic musical shows than academic orchestral performances.

Humour is not an accidental extra in this project. Guido plays the violin himself, talks to the audience, plays with the orchestra, provokes the musicians and combines professional precision with theatrical lightness. Just when a serious symphonic climax seems to be beginning, The Maestro can turn it into a witty stage moment in an instant.

Fourth-generation conductor – but he writes his own rules

Guido Dieteren was born in 1974 in Limburg, the Netherlands. Music in his family was not a hobby but a tradition: his great-grandfather, grandfather and father were conductors. As a young musician, Guido established his reputation as a concertmaster and soloist with various orchestras, before pursuing his path as a conductor, violinist and leader of his own orchestra.

While studying at the Maastricht Conservatory, Guido and his childhood friend, pop keyboardist Falco Borsboom, began searching for a way to combine the power of a classical orchestra with the rhythm and immediacy of pop music. This led to “Guido’s Orchestra”, which later became “The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra”.

Over the course of his career, Guido has worked as a musical director, arranger or creative partner with artists including Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Simply Red, DJ Afrojack, André Rieu, Eros Ramazzotti and Alessandro Safina. In the United States, public broadcaster PBS introduced him and the orchestra through “Love & Peace Concert”, describing the project as a distinctive fusion of pop and classical music.

A love story that began with one voice

For more than two decades, The Maestro has shared the stage with his wife, soprano Wendy Kokkelkoren. Their story began in 2001, when Guido was encouraged to meet a young opera singer. He was struck by Wendy’s voice, and she soon became the orchestra’s permanent vocal soloist. Professional chemistry quickly became personal: within a few months they were a couple, and in 2006 they married at the Pancratius Church in Heerlen.

Wendy is a classically trained opera singer. She graduated cum laude in solo singing from the Maastricht Conservatory and, while still a student, performed in Opera Zuid productions including Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”, Verdi’s “Rigoletto”, Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” and other works. She later performed in the United States and Canada and has also sung in the presence of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

On stage, Guido and Wendy create a duet of contrasting energies: he is an expressive conductor and violinist who can turn a solemn orchestral passage into a joke with a single gesture; she is a soprano who brings classical vocal technique into popular-music arrangements. Off stage, they are raising two daughters – Emma-Sophie and Annabel – and describe themselves as a musical family.

From goosebumps to a party

The artists themselves describe their formula as “pop meets classic”. Familiar melodies are given new orchestral arrangements and complemented by Guido Dieteren’s own compositions. The idea is to create a full emotional spectrum – romance, emotion, passion and energy.

That is exactly what makes the show distinctive: one moment the orchestra sounds monumental, a few minutes later it moves into a pop rhythm, and in the next scene the audience is already laughing at the dialogue between The Maestro and the musicians. It is high-quality orchestral music that is not afraid to be accessible and entertaining.

The only concert in Latvia – at the height of the Christmas season

The Riga concert will be created as a large-scale Christmas arena show featuring “The European Pop Orchestra”, Wendy Kokkelkoren, vocal soloists, special arrangements, festive repertoire and a visual stage production.

The 20 December date falls at the emotional height of the Christmas season, just four days before Christmas Eve. “Christmas Show: When Classical Music Gets Funny!” is designed not simply as a concert, but as an evening after which audiences leave with a festive feeling, energy and a smile.

“The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra – Christmas Show: When Classical Music Gets Funny!” in Riga will be the project’s only concert in Latvia. The entire festive programme will be presented in one evening at Xiaomi Arena in Riga. Tickets are available from Biļešu Serviss – bilesuserviss.lv.

THE MAESTRO & THE EUROPEAN POP ORCHESTRA
CHRISTMAS SHOW: WHEN CLASSICAL MUSIC GETS FUNNY!
20 DECEMBER | XIAOMI ARENA, RIGA
THE ONLY CONCERT IN LATVIA
TICKETS: BILESUSERVISS.LV