Music theater collective De Omniband, consisting of Jochem van Hoogdalem, Sander Borst and Douwe Nauta, are bringing as many as 26 instruments to the Auditorium this Sunday. “The three men met in the Ricciotti Ensemble, a breeding ground for musicians who want to do things slightly differently and think the world could use some more fun. Inspired by Mini & Maxi, the Ashton Brothers, Victor Borge and many others, the Omniband delivers a fun atmosphere, musicality, good jokes, bad jokes, beautiful music and music to jump along to,” says Karien Wertz of PHO.

Wertz has been playing oboe in the wind orchestra for 25 years and not a year has gone by without a New Year’s concert in the Auditorium. “Acoustically, it’s a difficult venue. But with all our experience playing there, we know how to adapt. For example, we position the basses slightly differently.” One advantage of the room is that it can accommodate many people, even on the balcony.

According to Wertz, New Year’s music includes the overture to Franz van Suppé’s operetta Isabella, the Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka and Kaiser-Walzer by Johann Strauss Jr. and the circus march The Circus Bee by American composer Henry Fillmore, which are all in the repertoire. “This year, we will even take the audience to Mexico with Sobre las Olas by Juventino Rosas. And also we will also be playing the contemporary composition Rapsalon Fanfare by the Dutch Steven Verhelst.”

Wertz certainly knows how to promote the concert: “Our performance also includes the waltz “And the Walz Goes On”. This piece was first played by André Rieu's orchestra in Vienna. Among the audience was the composer: none other than Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, who wrote the song at the age of 19, when he still had different aspirations.”

PHO has connections with Auletes, TU/e’s student wind orchestra. There are currently at least six former Auletes members in PHO, Wertz knows. The fact that PHO gets to perform in the Auditorium is thanks to Frits Philips, who personally proposed this to the then Executive Board in the early 1980s.