Andre Rieu - Bio

Celebrating his tenth year as a pledge drive phenomenon on PBS, global musical phenomenon Andre Rieu continues his grand European travels with an inspiring stop in Tuscany, a new special due in September 2004 to be accompanied by CD and DVD releases on Denon. Set to correspond with this fall’s pledge drive, Rieu’s 11th PBS program arrives on the heels of two enormously popular concert presentations, Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2002) and Live From Dublin (2003) and other Rieu spectaculars, including The Vienna I Love (1997), Romantic Moments (1998), 100 Years of Strauss (2003), Romantic Paradise (2003) and, invoking the passion of his homeland, From Holland With Love (1998).

Beloved by millions worldwide for bringing a revitalizing rhythmic energy and pop flavor to classical music, the Dutch born violinist and composer/conductor—known affectionately by his legions of fans as “The Waltz King of Europe” and “Grand Maestro Rieu”—is a true living musical legend. Since forming the Johann Strauss Orchestra with a group of Holland born musicians in 1987, he has captivated audiences from Europe to South America and Japan by adopting Strauss’ example of creating a festive atmosphere and encouraging dancing in the aisles to the lilting rhythms of cherished Viennese waltzes.

One fan website jubilantly declares, “Rieu’s live concerts attract a spectrum of fans, typically ranging in age from 16 to 65. Members of the audience can be seen in any matter of attire, from formal black tie to T-shirt and tennis shoes. Rieu himself dresses in tails and wears his hair long…his warm demeanor sets the audience to tapping its collective feet. He has captured and held the interest of the mainstream public with his classical music repertoire.”

Since releasing his debut album Strauss & Co. in 1994, Rieu has released close to 30 recordings that have dominated both the pop and classical charts, has twice won World Music Award (1996, 1998) and has sold gold and platinum in an ever increasing number of countries—Austria, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, France, Spain and Canada. His growing catalog of recordings includes The Christmas I Love (1997), Emporer Waltz (1998), Romantique (1998), Tales From the Vienna Woods (1998), Christmas With Andre Rieu (2000), La Vie est Belle (2001), Heartstrings (2002) and At The Movies (2004).

The sweeping, emotionally compelling 15 tracks on Tuscany magnificently capture the magical whimsy and lushness of the north Alps province considered by many to be Italy’s most beautiful. The region is known for its landscape of vineyards, olive gardens and dark green cypress trees covering the gently rolling hillsides, which are dotted with ancient farmhouses, castles and churches. The celebrated Chianti wine has been made in these hills for centuries.

High on a hill, roughly fifty miles southeast of Florence, is Cortona, a timeless city near Lake Trasimano and the Apennines which was the setting for the popular 2003 movie Under the Tuscan Sun, starring Diane Lane. Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra recorded Tuscany here in the City of Art at the Stadio di Cortona. The set begins with the haunting “Romance anonyme,” featuring Rieu’s violin melody fronting his orchestra and a choir of voices, then moves gracefully into the maestro’s sole featured original composition, “I Love You” and a reflection of the captivating local culture in Respighi’s “Italiana.”

Throughout the set, Rieu performs numerous personal favorite pieces, along with new selections destined to become parts of his popular repertoire—Jacques Offenbach’s “Barcarolle” (from the 1951 opera The Tales of Hoffman), “Lagune Waltz” by Strauss, “La Paloma” by 19th Century Spanish composer Sebastian de Yradier and, drawing from modern pops, the big band, orchestral flavored “Chanson D’Amour,” a 1958 hit by both Art & Dotty Dodd and the Fontaine Sisters. More familiar to even the most casual fan of classical music will be a rousing version of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and Beethoven’s anthemic “Ode to Joy,” which closes the set. Rieu also pays homage to the land he visits on Tuscany with a dramatic rendition of the Italian National Anthem.

Born into a musical family (his father was a conductor, his siblings are all professional musicians) in Maastricht, Holland, Andre Rieu—who currently performs with a model built by Antonio Stradivarius in 1667--had his first violin lesson at age 5 and quickly fell in love with his chosen instrument. “The idea behind the violin was to imitate the high female singing voice with all its musical possibilities, ‘singing’ long, romantic melodies, whether loud and strong or soft as a whisper,” he says. “And the instrument even has a feminine shape, with its nice rounded shoulders, its waist and hips, neck and head. Playing the violin is a real experience. When you play an instrument like this, it is actually like a relationship and someone you really love.”

His early exposure to the staid world of classical music concerts no doubt inspired his later desire to perform with an energy that has galvanized his audiences for over two decades. “Even as a child, I was fascinated by the world of music,” he says. “My father was a conductor, and I remember the huge orchestra and the wonderful sound it made, all those bows moving together – I thought it was fantastic. But even then I can remember being surprised at the somber atmosphere during the concerts. Everybody looked so serious, you weren’t supposed to cough or laugh, even though the music seemed to me to radiate so much joy!”
He studied at the Maastrict Academy of Music from 1968 to 1973 and the Brussels Academy of Music, where he won the Premier Prix, from 1974 to 1977. As a student, he was asked to take part in a salon ensemble, and a whole new world opened up for him from the moment he played his audience-captivating first waltz, “Gold und Silber” by Frantz Lehar. Observing the way people could not sit still, tapping their feet along to the rhythm and swaying back and forth, Rieu dreamed of someday forming his own orchestra that could similarly inspire such movement and enthusiasm.

“What a revelation it was! I was immediately spellbound by that beat which, years later, has almost become the rhythm of my life,” he says. “Three four time, the rhythm of the waltz. But I play a lot more than waltzes these days. My dream has always been to make the whole of classical music accessible for everyone.”
His first touring orchestra was the Maastricht Salon Orchestra, which performed regularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and America from 1978-1998. Nine years into his stint (1978-89) with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Rieu formed the Johann Strauss Orchestra and set up his own production company. He built an early European following while touring through the Benelux countries before heralding a new waltz craze, first at home and soon throughout the continent, with his rendition of “Second Waltz” (by Shostakovich), from his seminal From Holland With Love release (1996). From 1988 to 2002, Rieu and his ensemble toured regularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. In 2001, the orchestra toured Japan for the first time. Rieu’s family members have also become part of the phenomenon in recent years, with his brother Jean Philippe joining the company (and composing pieces like “La Vie est Belle” with Rieu) in 2000 and Rieu’s son Pierre signing on in 2002. Pierre also coordinates the technical production elements of his father’s concerts and recording ventures.

With the release of Tuscany, there’s no doubt that the powerful charisma, technical virtuosity and brilliant showmanship of Andre Rieu will sweep more fans into one of the world’s greatest ongoing cultural phenomena. The music offers a simple taste of Italy, but its emotional reach is truly universal. And the touring will continue…

“You know that solemn atmosphere you find in the concert hall with classical music, and how it intimidates most people and keeps them away?” he asks rhetorically. “With us, it’s simply not there. My orchestra consists of young, enthusiastic musicians, who put their heart and soul into the music every evening when they play in our concerts. At one of our concerts, you’ll see me and the orchestra and the audience too, all having a lot of fun together. Swaying with the music, humming along, clapping, jumping up and down – it all happens! Every evening is a wonderful experience, and in my view there couldn’t be a greater pleasure for a musician.”
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DENON Classics is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG). SLG is the North American unit of Columbia Music Entertainment (formerly Nippon Columbia),the oldest music company in Japan. Newly reorganized and now headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, Columbia Music Entertainment has re-emerged as a
significant creative force with a stable of newly signed platinum-selling artists.