Women with Passion - Joan Sutherland & my mother

Dame Joan Sutherland (Maria Stuarda) with my mother Tine van Grootel (Anna)

Just came back from a wonderful weekend with my family. My parents live in a historic house in the South of Holland near Maastricht. It is filled with things they love and cherish. Everytime I visit my childhood memories revive big time. On the piano there is this black&white photograph by Jaap Pieper. I was about 4 years old when my mother started to study at the conservatory to become an opera singer. Single mum, 3 small kids, chasing her dream on just a scholarship. She was incredably talented but in "her" days opera wasn't particulary popular in The Netherlands.
In order to attract audience, the Dutch Opera Foundation would often engage opera stars from abroad for the leading roles. For the production of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda they engaged Australian born Joan Sutherland to perform the role of Maria. My mother was casted for one of the other main characters, Anna. She loved every single minute of her work with this beautiful star especiallly because she is so passsionate, down to earth, hardworking with a warm personality. After the production our family was invited to her house near Montreux (Switzerland). It was an amazing place,  I lost count of the amount of rooms when she gave us the house tour, but she made us feel very welcome.

Diva genes

I am excited. Tomorrow I am joining my family to celebrate Christmas. Our family has a strong bond, but we all lead busy lives so we don't see each other often "en groupe". I am especially looking forward to seeing my mum.  She is an incredible person. She used to be an opera singer. Divorced with 3 small kids she studied opera at the conservatory in Maastricht which she finished "cum laude". As a child I was privileged to see many of her performances in great productions such as Rigoletto, Hofmann's Erzahlungen and Aida.
I would often be seated next to the fireman behind the stage and I had free access to the dressing rooms. How I admired all the costumes, the buzz, the drama......and the goosebumps I got from standing ovations.This photo was part of the promotional material for Donizetti's Maria Stuarda where my mother sang the role of Anna, Maria Stuarda's nurse. Dame Joan Sutherland performed the role of Maria Stuarda!