O FF II LL EE PP RR O we tried to escape all of that and decided to break free. I locked up my violin, she threw away her books and we planned to open a pizzeria, in which I would play when the Pizza Paganini was being served. But that idea only lasted for three weeks, and I figured that if I wanted to play Paganini, I’d better go back and study!” A MILESTONE 30 YEARS OF THE JSO In 1987, he founded André Rieu Productions company and his beloved Johann Strauss Orchestra, to which, he says, he is “practically married”. “I started with a small ensemble of 12 people. The first rehearsal was at my sons’ school and it then grew bigger and bigger. We started playing at retirement homes, small theatres, then arenas and finally stadiums, like Toronto and Melbourne. It makes me so happy because we have reached people with what we do.” André’s energetic orchestra now comprises a 60-piece ensemble and marked its milestone 30th anniversary this year at his eagerly-anticipated annual concert in Maastricht, this year screened live into over 500 cinemas here in the UK. PITCH PERFECT! André’s big break came in 1994, with the recording of the Waltz No. 2 by Shostakovich. The following year, he scored the perfect goal... Performing the same piece at AFC Ajax’s home Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich put André not only on the sporting, but also the world music map overnight. Ajax went on to win and who else but André could have a football crowd waving flags, humming along and swaying to Shostakovich?!! “My wife named it the ‘Second Waltz’. It sold 850,000 copies in the Netherlands alone. It was truly amazing that people sang it in football stadiums… you can still watch it on YouTube.” FROM SMALL TO SILVER SCREEN SUCCESS From performing on Dancing with the Stars to his fascinating TV series, Welcome to my World, following the ups and downs and backstage goings-on of the violin wizard and his orchestra around the world, along with TV appearances, André’s set new standards on the big screen, too. The broadcast of his 2015 Maastricht Concert marked his biggest success yet, breaking the UK box office records for a cinema music event. Screened live in cinemas, it took over £1.4m, making it the highest-grossing cinema music event of all time, surpassing One Direction and Take That. “That was fantastic! It shows that our music is really for everyone.” The concert was beamed live into cinemas in over 30 countries worldwide, including the US, Brazil, Canada and South Africa. André also topped the box office in Australia, Denmark and, of course, his native Netherlands.
He has also been bestowed with the prestigious French decoration of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, while in his hometown, he clinched the Gold Medal of Honour from Maastricht’s Mayor Gerd Leers – the city’s greatest distinction. “I think I am proudest owner of the “Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria”. It’s a very prestigious award, and to receive this from a nation with such exceptional musical traditions, where composers like Mozart, Schubert, Strauss lived, is amazing.” SUCCESS SECRETS As the head of a flourishing entertainment company, taking care of the creative side as well as business matters, André presides over a global business empire. “Everything we earn, we put back into the company. I have the largest private orchestra in the world and more than 100 people on the payroll, including my administration staff. It’s a big family business.” He credits much of his success to his wife, Marjorie, and has faith in the power of positive thinking: “I was born lucky. It is really my character. I am a happy person. I can get impatient, but I never get mad.” The biggest challenge of his career? “Convincing managers, label people and critics that my music is for everyone. For younger and older people, for families, for the professor or the cleaning lady… not for an elite.” André believes that everyone can enjoy classical music and has been instrumental in achieving his aim to revive 19th-century waltz music. What drives this music maestro? “Love and passion… Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I always dreamed of travelling the world with my own orchestra. And I love to be on stage playing all that beautiful music.” With a gift for touching hearts, his unique approach to classical music and engaging spectators is part of his winning formula. “We are very individual. Every concert is different.” He says encouraging audience interaction has been instrumental in achieving his melodic path to the top. “Communication and emotions are the secret to my success, I think. I look my audience in the eye, I talk to them and ask them to join us.” The born entertainer speaks six different languages, Dutch, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish, and can therefore ask his fans to participate by standing up from their seats and waltzing in the aisles in all six! SECOND-TO-NONE STAGE SETS
GONGS GALORE! The superstar of classical music has notched up no less than 30 no. 1 chart positions worldwide and is the only classical artist to enter Pollstar’s Top 10. As the most successful classical artist in the world, the multi-talented musician’s success and emphatic contribution to classical music across over three decades has resulted in countless coveted accolades. Along with Brit Awards, André’s won World Music Awards, a Gramophone Award and a Dutch Export Award among numerous others, celebrating his unrivalled talent. How does it feel to receive such prestigious awards and honours? “It’s wonderful, of course, because it’s proof that we have reached the hearts of millions of people around the world,” He says music is very important to the world. “Especially in times like these. Wherever we play, people always seem to forget their worries for a moment. That’s one of the most beautiful and powerful things of making music.” 20 Upscale Living Magazine |
The international sensation again made history in the UK by having the highest- charting classical album this century, was crowned no. 1 Classic Artist in the US (with the Wall Street Journal calling him a “Maestro for the Masses”) and has been the highest-selling music artist in Australia for the past five years, dominating the DVD charts Down Under with nine DVDs in the Top 10.
A live André Rieu show makes for quite the spectacle… Extravagant with a capital “E”, his showy stage sets are nothing less than breathtaking. Elaborate global extravaganzas with no expense spared, the classical conductor’s concerts have seen Mary Poppins flying over the audience, life-size ballrooms and ice rinks, and an enchanting Venetian-style set complete with a Doge’s Palace, Rialto Bridge, ornate Italian fountain and a colourful Venetian masquerade. His lifesize replicas of Austria’s Imperial Schönbrunn Palace saw the biggest stage set ever to go on tour. The sensational set was 10-stories high and longer than a football field, featured fountains, a skating rink, a ballroom dance floor plus a state carriage covered in real gold! For the most excessive and extravagant show ever to take to the road, he had to build two sets to fit into his touring schedule, which included his largest concert ever, to an audience of 38,000 in Melbourne, Australia.
OCTOBER 2017 www.upscalelivingmag.com