An orchestra with more than 30 musicians… Performing in the most beautiful theaters in the Netherlands… And already a next season with even more performances on the schedule… Ruud Luttikhuizen, the pianist and co-initiator of The CineMusic Experience, never imagined this when he was asked in 2019 to help brainstorm about a ‘small film music orchestra’. Now he dreams even bigger: on to the Concertgebouw!
How did CineMusic start for you?
“John came to me a few years ago with his idea. He asked me if we could start an orchestra to do something with film music. At the time, I thought it would be a one-off thing, so I thought small. A combo with four musicians and then some brass. Friends and acquaintances I had played with before. And our conductor Henk, whom I already knew from the Zaans Showorkest where I play the New Year’s show every year. I was always impressed by him. Henk also brought a few people along. We were thinking of a small hall that could fit 100 people. But that first show didn’t happen because the pandemic broke out. Eventually, we played a livestream from the Bullekerk that year. And when it was possible again, we did two performances in the Bullekerk with an audience of 150 people each night. That was a success!”
And how did you continue after that?
“John asked me what we would need to be able to play all the film music. Then we started expanding with violins and other strings, because they are the heart of any orchestra. And more percussion and timpani. Before we knew it, we had already expanded the orchestra to 32 musicians.”
Don’t you think now: look at everything that has happened?
“Yes, at the time I really thought this is a very nice one-off concert. I do those kinds of projects more often. So I studied something for one concert, but I did think: let’s do at least two. There’s so much work involved. I could never have imagined that it would become as big as it is now.”
How old were you when you had your first music lesson?
“Eight years old. There was a piano at our house because my father played. When I also became interested, he looked up some books for beginners. He wanted to teach me. For the first two years, I had lessons from my father. After that, when I had overtaken my father, I went to the music school in Purmerend.”
Have you always enjoyed it?
“Yes, I’ve always enjoyed it. I never found practicing a problem, an hour every day. When I was thirteen, I was asked if I wanted to accompany a choir. They were without a pianist at the time. Very fun, and I learned a lot from it. It wasn’t until I was sixteen that I realized I liked it so much that I wanted to do more with it and go to the conservatory. To prepare, I started taking lessons in Haarlem with Mrs. Brackman. The condition was that I would practice two hours a day. I then switched from VWO back to Havo, so that I would have more time. From that moment on, I focused on the conservatory entrance exams for two years.”
Did you already know what you wanted to do after the conservatory?
“Not really. I did know that I didn’t want to just teach after the program. I was interested in many different musical styles. Boogie-woogie, light music, classical music… I was a bit of an omnivore. And I played in a band. Eventually, I went to study classical music in Utrecht. After the conservatory, I also studied school music; that seemed useful because then I could at least teach in schools as well. During the course, I already realized that it wasn’t for me. I did finish the degree; I just enjoy doing everything related to music.”
What did you start doing after your studies?
“By then I already had some students and I accompanied a classical choir. I was asked to play for a musical group and taught a few hours at a primary school. And I gave small concerts with other musicians. I did very diverse things. I still do that, and that’s what I enjoy most. You shouldn’t let me just teach. You shouldn’t let me just perform either. But the combination of all those different things, that’s what’s fun.”
Why do you love the piano so much?
“The versatility. It’s a rhythm instrument, a melody instrument, and a harmony instrument all in one. You can give a piano concert on your own, you can accompany… And I find the sound very pleasant. You can get beautiful tones out of it. Yes, it really is a love for that piano. I wouldn’t know what else to do.”
What makes CineMusic so special for you?
“The piano is never a permanent part of an orchestra. Here it is. And because I chose many of the people myself, I think the orchestra consists of a very nice group of people. And the best part is that I get to know a lot of people again. Besides, I think the music is great. Look, when the whole orchestra starts playing, the piano naturally fades into the background a bit, like many instruments. But I have a lot of nice piano solo pieces in the show. Just think of Forrest Gump, The Imitation Game, The Godfather, and The Holiday.”
What music do you listen to in your free time?
“The honest story is, if I’m busy with music all day, I actually find it very nice when there’s no music at home for a while. Yes, Henk (the conductor, ed.) likes Rammstein, I’m not so into that. But if I’m in the car and I have a moment of peace, Radio NPO 4 comes on, or Billie Joel, Michael Bublé—I really like that music. I often automatically start listening technically and analyzing what I hear. Just relaxing to music, I find that difficult.”
If everything were possible, what would you still like to achieve with this orchestra?
“Well, I would think it’s pretty cool if we could grow a bit bigger. That we could perform in the Concertgebouw, for example. My son is a videographer. During the corona period, he managed to get permission to film in the Concertgebouw. I got to sit there behind the piano all by myself in an empty hall. That gave me goosebumps. But in front of a full house, and with the CineMusic orchestra, that seems even more beautiful to me!”