Nov. 14, 2025, Frank Steijns on Facebook: The audience here in Cluj gave a thunderous standing ovation for Gheorghe Zamfir, Romania's musical hero. His encounter with Michel Tirabosco, whom Zamfir had already called a promise for the future at the age of nine, was magnificent. They hadn't seen each other since. Meanwhile, Rieu and Zamfir's "The Lonely Shepherd" is our most successful song on YouTube, with over 213 million views. Nov. 16, 2025, From Facebook Michel Tirabosco: I hadn’t seen him for 48 years… What a pleasure to share the stage with maestro George Zamfir! A huge congratulations to him for his immense career. Long live the pan flute!

November 14, 2025: concert review and a video from Antenna 3, a Romanian news channel. By Andrei Paraschiv Found and shared with the fans by Diana D. Le André Rieu "raised the spectators standing" in Cluj. People came from all over the country Cluj is surrounded by classical music. The famous violinist and conductor André Rieu continues the series of concerts started on November 11, each performing evening event until November 15, all sold out. BT Arena has vibrated alongside more than 8,500 people coming from all over the country and abroad, who have cheered the Dutch artist for his music, life stories, and the unique way he interacts with audiences. With his impressive orchestra, with tenors and sopranos with unique voices, but also with extraordinary life stories and career of many of the artists who accompany him on the world tour, André Rieu performs in Cluj-Napoca. The story of the soprano, who, although facing a serious illness, saw her dream of becoming a singer fulfilled, impressed viewers. A moment awaited with great interest by the thousands of spectators was the one in which, together with André Rieu, Gheorghe Zamfir took the stage. The interpretation of Johann Strauss' famous waltz, "Waves of the Danube", raised the spectators standing. People, whether they came from Cluj, Bucharest, Bacău, Ploiesti, or Petroșani, had an unforgettable evening. We are a whole team of 20 people from Bacău. With great excitement and joy, we have been preparing since April, when the tickets first went on sale. My colleagues and I managed to get everyone in the mood for Rieu à la Grande," said one person. "It's an extraordinary show, I'm impressed, I'm from Prahova, I came to Cluj especially for this show and I'm very excited about everything around me," said another. "We come from Petroșani, and it's a miracle for us because there are no shows there. Shows are very rare, so we sit quietly and attentively to remember them. If we don't get to see such shows all the time, we enjoy them and like them very much," added someone else André Rieu will perform in Cluj-Napoca in the evening from evening until November 15. All five concerts are sold out, and the maestro promises a new chapter of excitement and joy for his Romanian fans. -0-0-0-0-0-

In June 2015 Ruud and Ineke attended the concert in Bucharest, Romania. To experience the atmosphere and to read about our adventures, click HERE. In Cluj 2025, the popular Romanian song “Hop sa sa” (Ciuleandra) was performed by two panflute players!!

André Rieu was treated in Cluj by two famous doctors, for a dental problem on November 12, 2025! Professor doctor Simion Bran and professor doctor Florin Onişor, both are primary doctors in oral and maxillofacial surgery, academics with a rich teaching and clinical activity at the “Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca. Broni Implant: A visit to remember. Welcoming the legendary André Rieu as our patient has been a true honor. Thank you, Maestro, for your trust and warmth.

From his social media, Frank Steijns shares his experience of the last concert in Cluj: Last night in Cluj, something happened that we all felt: a performance that stood out above all others. Gheorghe Zamfir, 84 years old and frail but musically still the old master of the pan flute, played an Einsamer Hirte (Lonely Shepherd) like we'd never heard before. Where the final cadence normally lasts a few seconds, he now took over two minutes for a heartbreaking improvisation—all the colors, techniques, and registers of the pan flute were showcased, as if he wanted to give it his all one last time. The hall held its breath. You could have heard a pin drop among 10,000 people. Then the audience erupted in an emotion that even we rarely experience. Even in the orchestra, we had tears in our eyes. Zamfir made a beautiful gesture: as if he were sending the applause back into the hall. Then his face broke into a huge smile of gratitude, and he bowed - perhaps for the last time after almost 70 years on stage - to the audience.

November 17, 2025. From Gheorghe Zamfir’s Facebook: My darlings, I lived with you in Cluj for a whole week full of unimaginable emotions, and I'm sure it was an unparalleled experience for the 50,000 spectators. I want to thank the brilliant artist André Rieu for the friendship that unites us and for the immense joy we share the stage with every time! We've worked together for many years, and yet this time it was different; we felt the music together on a different level, at a higher vibration. We enjoyed and cried together, we purified our souls, and I also want to thank you, the audience, for such an experience! Congratulations and respect to the Johann Strauss Orchestra and all the invited musicians, the production team, and the promoters! I love you so much, my darlings, and I can't wait to see you again! George Zamfir