Article from De Limburger, October 25, 2024. Photo: ARP. Singer Emma Kok will be followed by cameras from Omroep MAX in the coming period. The Dutch broadcaster is going to make a documentary about her life. It was announced on Friday, October 25. The 16-year-old Kok became nationally known after winning "The Voice Kids" in 2021. She is now also making her mark outside the Netherlands thanks to André Rieu with whom she went on a world tour. The Limburg native will be joining the violinist again next year. The documentary, whose title has not yet been announced, will not be broadcast until the winter of 2025- 2026.

Article from “Parool”, October 25, 2024 By Leon van Wijk Singer Emma Kok (16) sells out show in Concertgebouw within a few hours Singer Emma Kok (16) has sold out her announced show in the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw within a few hours. Only a few last tickets are still available, as can be seen on the website. The young star will be solo on the world-famous stage next year, surrounded by a symphony orchestra. Kok won the TV talent shows The Voice Kids (2021) and Ministars (2023) and became internationally known when her rendition of Voilà with André Rieu went viral on the internet. The counter is at 72 million views on YouTube. The 16-year-old singer has since performed often with Rieu at home and abroad, but in the Concertgebouw she stands on her own two feet. Kok announced the concert on Friday afternoon with a video showing her visiting the venue. She is not yet tall enough to reach the peepholes in the theatre doors, she shows as a joke. "This has always been a dream of mine and it is coming true", she writes. Kok is looking forward to getting through the doors of the venue, descending the famous stairs and waving to her fans. The concert will be a mix of Kok's favorite music styles, the Concertgebouw reports. She will sing her own songs, but also songs by others who mean a lot to her. Guest artists will also be announced later. Why in a wheelchair? In the video that Emma Kok shared on Facebook and Instagram, you can see that she is sitting in a wheelchair. Last summer, she also shared a photo of herself in a wheelchair with her 1.7 million followers on Instagram. Emma has been showing on that platform for some time now how her chronic condition – gastroparesis, or chronic stomach paralysis – affects her life. Due to the condition, Kok needs two pumps to provide her nutrition. She also underwent many surgeries, suffered from stunted growth and was often bullied because of her backpack with the pumps. Every five months, Kok has to go to the hospital to have part of her tube replaced. Kok has talked about her condition on Dutch TV before, but she is reaching a new audience with her English-language Instagram posts. She does this with humor. For example, she shared her "girl dinner", referring to a TikTok trend that the typical influencer would participate in. Kok's "girl dinner" has looked the same her entire life: tube feeding. Always positive She doesn't mince her words. "Every day is a struggle for me," she wrote earlier on Instagram. "I have never been able to eat. Gastroparesis is a rare disease and there is currently no cure." Sometimes the young singer is forced to use a wheelchair. "With this condition, you don't have much energy", she explains. That's why she has to think carefully about how to distribute her energy. "That's a big struggle, because I want to have as much energy as other people. It's annoying." But with every sentence about pain, Kok also writes a sentence of positivity. "Without my voice, I wouldn't be where I am today," says Kok. "My voice is my therapy and the best medicine I could wish for."

L1 News, October 9, 2024. EMMA KOK (16) is going on another year-long world tour with André Rieu “It has become a second home…!” The two announced this jointly on social media. What else do you do besides the tour? "I'm also going to do a lot of fun things besides the tour, like working on my own music. I can do whatever I want and that makes me happy. André also thinks it's very important that I perform at other locations every now and then and do fun things. And mom and dad have come along more often, and will come along more often in the future. My brother and sister are always allowed to come along too; they like to go to special places."

Article from Telegraaf/Privé, October 25, 2024 By Harrie Nijen Twilhaar Translation by Ineke, edited by Diana D.Le Singer Emma Kok (16) on her own in the Concertgebouw: 'André Rieu is super proud of me!' She is still too young to get a driver's license or to vote, but in the meantime Emma Kok sings her heart out and flies all over the world with André Rieu and his famous orchestra. And she has big plans of her own. On October 21 next year, the singer from Limburg will be in the spotlights of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with Emma Kok in Concert for an entire evening solo. "I am so happy that it worked out, it is going to be a fantastic year!" It was a great wish for Emma Kok (16) to one day give her own concert in the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. And that dream is now coming true faster than she probably ever thought. On October 21 next year, the Limburg singer and protégé of André Rieu, will be seen solo in the immense concert hall. “It’s the most beautiful hall, with the best acoustics in the world,” says Emma, ​​who follows in the footsteps of big international names such as Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Jessye Norman. She will be leaving for Lisbon this weekend with another world star, André Rieu. In the Portuguese capital, the two will share the stage for a series of concerts with the Johann Strauss Orchestra. “It feels so cool to be able to do Emma Kok in Concert next year,” she beams. “I’ve been to the Concertgebouw a few times, and every time I think: I want to be there myself one day.” In addition to the world tour with Rieu, which she is currently in the middle of, Emma performed with German superstar Helene Fischer at the Gelredome at the end of last year, she was allowed to close the Liberation Festival Concert on the Amstel and last summer she sang at the wedding of Britt Dekker and her husband Max. Before the teenager from Kerkrade – who suffers from gastroparesis, a chronic stomach condition that makes her completely dependent on tube feeding – gives her solo concert in Amsterdam, she will first sing her heart out accompanied by the violinist and his orchestra. In December, the famous Christmas concerts await in MECC Maastricht, after which the European tour will start again a few weeks later. And of course Emma, ​​just like the last two editions, will shine again for three weeks on the Vrijthof next summer. It was the singer herself who came up with the idea for the upcoming performance in Amsterdam. "I took the plunge and made an appointment with the people at the Concertgebouw together with my parents. I'm so happy that it worked out, it's going to be a fantastic year!" Weren't they surprised at the Concertgebouw? "They thought the initiative I took was really cool and awesome. We clicked right away. Of course, it will take almost a year, but I'm already starting to prepare the concert program. It has to be a fantastic evening with a number of guest performances by famous artists. I'm not going to reveal who they are yet, haha. The script has to be perfect down to the last detail." It must have been quite a challenge to find a free spot in your schedule. "It was a bit of a puzzle, yes. But in the end it worked out. And of course, I told André about my concert in detail. He responded enthusiastically and wishes me all the luck in the world. He is very proud that I am going to do this. And of course, he is invited to be one of my guests of honor that evening." How does it feel that the tables have been turned for once? "Well, that evening may be all about me, but without André I would never have been able to take this step and I would never have been there. I hope he will be there. Then, he can enjoy a musical evening for once, without having to play himself." You said it yourself, you owe him a lot. “André has changed my life completely, he means so much to me. I thank him every time for everything he does and has done. What he gives me is really very special. That is priceless. He was the one who asked me in 2023 if I wanted to be a guest at the Vrijthof concerts. I will never forget that opportunity. Not only has André always believed in me, he is very caring, because he knows that I am chronically ill. But also thanks to my family I can make this incredibly beautiful dream come true. They are always there for me and my parents travel all over the world with me when I go on tour with André. Life has changed drastically for them too. A lot is coming our way.” Who will you share the stage of the Concertgebouw with? "I will be accompanied by a large symphonic orchestra. Discussions will follow about the composition and musicians, everything has to take shape in the coming period. For example, I am already thinking about the songs I will sing there, a mix of new songs and covers. And of course, Voilà and Dancing On The Stars will not be missing." Emma received a diamond record from Rieu last summer for Voilà – the original is by French singer Barbara Pravi, who sang the song at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. The song has been listened to more than fifty million times worldwide on all streaming platforms, and on YouTube the live version in Maastricht has already been clicked on more than seventy million times. A lot of the songs you sing seem to be about your personal life. “That’s right. Because of my illness, I have of course already experienced a lot. A large part of the songs that I will sing in the Concertgebouw relate to the things that concern me, but also to life with a stomach disorder that means I am dependent on tube feeding 22 hours a day. I also want to offer strength and hope to other people who suffer from a chronic illness. My life is not always a party, but through the music and singing I get a lot of energy and I still try to make it a party.” Your brother Enzo (22) is a violinist, will he also be part of the orchestra? "Definitely! He has played in André's Johann Strauss Orchestra before. He graduated from the Conservatory in Amsterdam last year and is currently doing a master's degree at the Hochschule Hanns Eisler in Berlin. It's great that in a year's time we will be on that big stage together as brother and sister. I'm also very proud of him." It's still a long way off, but what about the tensions? "I'm actually nervous before every performance. Whether I'm on stage with ten thousand people in front of me, or there are fifty people in the audience; it's always super exciting. On the other hand, I feel the adrenaline flowing through my body and I have butterflies in my stomach from excitement. Then I'm at my best and all the tension is gone." How are you going to cope physically, considering your condition? "The program lasts two times forty minutes and in between there is a long break. In that time, I can regain my strength and recharge, because it is both physically and mentally an effort. But I have done it before, my own concert. That was a gift from the Parkstad Limburg Theater after I won The Voice Kids. And later I also performed in the open-air theater of Valkenburg. But this concert in Amsterdam will be special!" Will there be more performances at the Concertgebouw in your opinion? "I certainly hope so, I really enjoy singing and performing. So who knows, maybe I'll be back in the Concertgebouw in 2026."

photos by Raoul Limpens.

Britt Dekker sold a foal and donated a significant amount of money to Emma’s foundation Gastrostars. On her turn Emma sang at Britt’s wedding day in september 2024.

To read more about Emma Kok, page 1, click HERE

Emma has customized her jewelry to her latest song composed by Tjeerd Oosterhuis: Dancing on the stars.

Foundation Gastrostars https://gastrostars.nl/en/ Gastrostars is the first patients organization for everyone with a stomach paralysis and other additional physical conditions such as a paralyzed or slow working intestines. Down below you can read more about the foundation created by Emma Kok! Our mission is to improve the quality of life of children and adults with gastroparesis and other intestinal motility disorders. We want to raise awareness of this rare disease. Gastrostars was founded by Emma Kok. Emma is supported by a passionate board. The main goal of our patient organization is to increase the understanding of others for our situation. With this, we want to make life a little easier and more bearable for all fellow sufferers. On this website we will publish stories, advice and news items in the near future, which we can share with others in our area, so that they will hopefully understand it better. By understanding it better, the environment can hopefully help you better, or maybe stop doing or saying some things. We also hope that these stories and advice will help you and make you stronger. Donate via Rabobank: NL70 RABO 0347527000 KVK: 89505778 RSIN: 865002976 ANBI registered

October 28, 2024. André Rieu and Emma Kok appear in Trump promotional video by Elon Musk without permission L1 news: Emma Kok and André Rieu distance themselves from Trump campaign video.

Short summary of Pierre Rieu's response. From L1 news: (by Sterre Schlicher) Distancing Pierre Rieu emphasizes that he and his father do not support the use of their video for the campaign film. Why the image of his father was used for this specific video is a big question mark for the Maastricht resident. Emma Kok also states in a statement on Instagram that she distances herself from the video and the message it spreads. In her case, too, the fragment was used and spread without her knowledge and without permission. Let it blow over However, they will not take any further steps towards X or Musk. The less attention is given to it, the faster it will pass, is Rieu's message. "Fortunately, Musk makes frequent use of his own social media platform. So the film has already dropped considerably in his timeline. We have therefore received few reactions to it, only from media that have picked it up. Apart from that, we will simply let it blow over, if there has already been a commotion about it."

Emma on Instagram

October 28, 2024. Radio interview with Emma Kok, by Daniel Dekker, for NPO Radio 5. It is in Dutch. About: touring again with André Rieu, her own concert in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw next year, The Disney performance in the Ziggo Dome in January 2025, the MAX documentary, her puppy Ollie, and the illegal 3 seconds in the Trump promotional video.

Solo What Emma finds so special about André Rieu are his emotions. "André is André, he is all honesty. He won't say he likes something if he doesn't. At my first audition, I learned a lot in five minutes. It was almost intimidating, I was tested. He has no shame in that respect. I think that's fine." Whether she will do anything with André Rieu after this year is not yet known. "I'm not ruling anything out, but as far as the future is concerned, I have to focus on my own career, on standing on my own two feet. I'll be with the orchestra until Christmas. After that, a lot is still open. I'm working on some great plans. One of them is already a dream come true, my own concert night in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. That's a great honor. And apparently people are looking forward to it, because it was sold out very quickly. I already have the entire program worked out, together with conductor Maurice Luttikhuis who will accompany me with his orchestra New Symphonics. Two times three quarters of an hour with a long break, then I can refuel, literally. That evening, I have to do it. I am really looking forward to it, I like talking between the numbers. I am a chatterbox. I hope that people will get to know me better that evening. Not only Emma Kok, but Emma as well." Musicals One of the guest artists that evening is Milan van Waardenburg. This musical star appeals to her enormously. "He is simply very good and I love musicals. I hope to be able to participate in a musical one day. In itself, I think I can do it, but then my condition is an issue. Because a producer wants someone who can be on stage night after night and then for longer than half an hour. But who knows, I might get a chance one day in combination with understudies who can replace me on certain nights." She likes her participation in the television program “Stars on Stage”. "There, I have a different role than on stage with André Rieu. I really like that variation. I actually like a lot of things and I also take on a lot, because I don't want to fall into a black hole later. I am already busy with 2026 and 2027 to see what is possible then. Perhaps also solo performances, with or without an orchestra. That has to do with budgets, among other things. Another dream of mine is to be able to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the Netherlands, I would really love that." Her parents are in fact also her management team and if necessary, she can always go to André Rieu and his son Pierre with questions. "I learned a lot there, both artistically and business-wise. Standing on a big stage in front of 12,000 people, for example. You have to do that even when you're having a bad day mentally. There are days when I don't feel well. You learn that you have to flip that switch, without falling into a routine." With real fans, and there are more and more of them, she has no problems. "If they ask me to take a picture with them, I usually do. I also think it's fine if they talk to me. But they shouldn't touch me, I don't like that. Yes, there are people who really start touching you, I find that weird. Or they keep staring at you, that's something. Just say something to me, that's much more normal." Future as a patient Her almost non-functioning stomach imposes the necessary limitations on her, which she has to deal with, not only physically, but also mentally. Her General Practitioner is also her trusted doctor in this. "I have a difficult relationship with my specialist in the hospital, to be honest. Those specialists do not yet fully understand the condition, because so little is known about it. If I say that I have pain when eating, they tell me to continue anyway. Well, eating is the tube feeding. They do not feel what I feel. The patients often know more about it than the doctor. Other people with the same condition also have the same experience. In London, you can have a pacemaker in your stomach, but it doesn't actually solve the disease. You can get help against the complaints. What I don't understand is that nowadays, they can transplant a heart, liver, you name it. But not the stomach. The craziest things are possible, but making a stomach work still is impossible. It is of course frustrating. I wonder: is the stomach really the most difficult organ? As a patient you want still a perspective, that is very normal. But there is no point on the horizon yet. I try to collect as much money as possible with my foundation for research. Hopefully, there will be a proper research one day. You always have to keep hope. I try to move forward." Bullying One of the pleasures of life she misses out on is good food. “When people say something to me about food, well, I can handle that. People don’t always think about the fact that I can’t eat normally. As a family we often go out to eat, I bring a cracker with me. Sometimes I get a menu. It’s no use to me. I’m used to it, but still... In a year, when I’m eighteen, I can see if I can drink wine, for example. Who knows, I might like a few sips, see how that goes. It would be great if I could just sit on a terrace with a girlfriend and order a glass of wine. In any case, I hope to get my driver’s license soon, then I’ll be less dependent. Then I can go out with a girlfriend, for example. I have girlfriends, outside of music. I don’t see them very often. I’ve always had trouble with that because of my bullying at school. It’s always been a scar. It takes longer to trust people. In high school, it took me three years before I could say that I really had girlfriends. Before that, I couldn’t believe it after all those bullying, that I have experienced. Because of that bullying, I have little self-confidence and trust in others. That scar will always remain. Are they jealous? Why are they jealous of a girl who is sick? Why do we have to hurt each other? What do they gain from it? Adults also bully each other. What does Putin do for example? He also bullies, it amounts to the same thing. I never see those bullies again. I never see them in Kerkrade again. I secretly hope they come to my concert. But then, they don't have to take a picture with me. Oh well, I wake up positive every day. I sometimes dream about those pumps, that I have thrown them over the balcony. Suppose I ever get better, then I have to learn to eat as a baby." Movies and books Emma tries to follow everything that happens in the world to some extent. "I do follow the news now and then. Not like my father, who watches two news programs in a row. While I think, that's the same, one is enough. I find some things interesting, others not. And when you're on tour, it doesn't get through as well. But I do realize that there are wars going on a few hours away. I think that's bad." She seeks distraction in films and series, among other things. She does not often watch them with tears in her eyes. "No, I actually do not cry that much, that's not too bad. With some Disney films I do, but otherwise not so much. Less than for example, André and Pierre Rieu. They are the most emotional people I know. When I sing a song at the piano with Frank Steijns and André gets tears in his eyes, then I know it gets through."

To read more about Emma Kok, page 3, click HERE

May 22, 2025, De Limburger, by Ivar Hoekstra Emma Kok, the Kerkrade girl from The Voice Kids, is now a 17-year-old woman brimming with ambition: "The Eurovision Song Contest seems really cool to me." The express train Emma Kok (17) has been on for four years just keeps on going. A new Vrijthof concert series with André Rieu is coming up, a solo concert at the Concertgebouw, and for the next eight weeks, we'll see the Kerkrade native on Stars on Stage, where she can showcase her musical talent. "I like everything, that's kind of my problem. The Eurovision Song Contest, for example, that also seems really cool to me!" Everything Emma Kok touches seems to turn to gold. Because if the rumors we're hearing about Stars on Stage are true, viewers will also be blown away by Emma's musical talents over the next eight Saturday evenings. Of course, she can't reveal anything herself yet, but her radiant eyes reveal that she also enjoyed this adventure, in which celebrities take on the challenge of training to become musical stars. "It was truly a blast, and I learned so much! If my pumps work out, I'd love to perform in a musical one day. Yes, that's a dream of mine." Sold out And making dreams come true is something she's been working hard on for a few years now. She's won The Voice Kids and Ministars, toured the world with André Rieu's orchestra, has a sold-out concert at the Concertgebouw on October 21st, and her first album is also in the works. It's staggering how quickly her career is taking off. Four years ago, this reporter and photographer were also at the Kok home in Kerkrade, after Emma's win on The Voice Kids. She's still the same friendly girl she was in 2021, but her appearance has undergone a bit of a transformation. The girl from back then is now a (young) adult woman with a new look, where the bleached curls are particularly striking. I was blonde as a child too, so it doesn't feel like a huge change to me. In one of the magazines—I don't know if it was Story, Weekend, or Privé -- a stylist reviewed my new look: this is how Emma looked then and this is how she looks now! It's pretty strange when your look suddenly becomes a hot item. But I get it, I can't just dye my hair bright pink on a whim. I don't think André would be thrilled about that. Ha, ha.” The fact that the magazines are paying attention to her look indicates how much Emma's status has grown. Four years ago, it was mainly the local press that was interested in her, but now she's been discovered by the magazines as well. "I'm just standing there between the royal family and the world stars. I find it especially funny." And although she doesn't see it that way, with two million followers on her social media and more than eighty million views on YouTube for her performance of Voilà at the Vrijthof square, Emma is now a global star herself. One without even a trace of diva behavior, by the way. In her childhood home, with her dog Ollie wagging at her feet, she's still just as open and uninhibited as when she was merely a local celebrity. "The fact that so many people now know who I am doesn't make me any different. I'm still getting used to it. In the supermarket, I wonder why those people are looking at me like that. And then I think: 'Oh yeah, maybe they saw me on YouTube.'" For Emma, her popularity also serves as a tool to raise awareness of her illness, gastroparesis: chronic stomach paralysis. "There was very little attention for it because it's such a rare disease. But it shouldn't really matter how rare a disease is; everyone should have a chance to get better. So I took the step to set up a foundation to raise awareness of gastroparesis. Yes, I was quite angry about that. It shouldn't be the case that a 14-year-old girl, because that's how old I was then, has to step in and raise awareness of a disease." You wonder how she's coping physically, given her busy schedule and the fact that her illness takes a lot of energy. "It's been stable so far, thankfully. The illness hasn't improved, but it hasn't gotten worse either. Sometimes I can eat a little for a few months, and then nothing for a few months. It really goes up and down. Last December, I was having a bad time, and I prefer to retreat home. I'd spend a lot of time on the couch watching TV shows. Luckily, the Christmas concerts provided the necessary distraction." Tattoo On Instagram, Emma is very open about her illness to all her followers. She talks about the insertion of a new feeding tube (Mickey Button) into her abdomen and explains how this extremely painful procedure works. Recently, she proudly showed off the tattoo on her abdomen to her millions of followers and shared a photo of herself in a bikini for the first time without embarrassment. "I do this for myself to seek support and acceptance, and it's nice to see from the reactions that others find it supportive too. That I help people overcome a hurdle, so they dare to wear a bikini, for example. That makes me very happy." The fact that Emma manages to perform so often despite her illness is because she tries to distribute her energy as effectively as possible. "I've also started exercising every day to build up my fitness. When I'm on the road with André, I rest a lot before the performance, and once I've sung my songs, I go straight back to the hotel and to bed. I never stay until the end of the concert. Besides, when we're touring with André, we regularly have a week off, so I can recharge at home in Kerkrade." Emma sings a few songs during the performances with Rieu. How will that work when she gives her solo concert at the Concertgebouw in October and is solo on stage for an hour and a half? "Fortunately, I already have some experience with that from my solo concert at Theater Kerkrade three years ago. Yes, the Concertgebouw Concert is going to be even bigger, so that means I'll have to take a lot of rest for it. We'll do it in two 45-minute blocks with a long break in between. That should be doable." Next summer, Emma will be back on the Vrijthof square with André Rieu and his orchestra. Will that still be the case with her ambitions for a solo career next summer? "You'd have to ask André. I, for one, find it magical to be able to sing with André and his orchestra on the Vrijthof square. You know, I just enjoy so many things and have so many plans. For example, I'd love to do the Eurovision Song Contest someday. I've gotten to know Claude a little over the past few years, and I thought what he did in Switzerland was absolutely fantastic." Emma recently proved that her heart is in the right place with the song she wrote for her good friend Jade Kops, who is terminally ill with cancer. When she sang the song for Jade on the TV talk show Bar Laat, everyone, including presenter Jeroen Pauw, was moved. "Being able to be a guest there with Jade was very special for both of us. I'm in contact with Jade daily via WhatsApp. We don't talk about her illness, but just about girly things." Seeing each other in person often is quite complicated for the friends. "Jade lives in 's-Gravenzande, South Holland, so that's quite a distance from Kerkrade. And traveling by train is difficult for me with those pumps, so that means my mom or dad has to drive me." But there's a solution in sight. At the Kok house, the theory books for the driving test are on the dining table. "I'm busy studying for my theory and recently started taking driving lessons. I'm 17 now, and when I turn 18, I want to take the test right away so that, if I pass, I can drive straight away. Then I won't be dependent on my parents anymore and I can drive to Jade's myself. Having my own car will greatly increase my freedom." Emma's driver's license is not only her dream, but also that of her mother Nathalie: "So Emma can finally drive me too!"