Biography

André Rieu grew up in a musical family and had his first contact with classical music as a child. At this time, his father was already enjoying success as head of the Leipzig Opera. His siblings also became musicians. While he was at school, André Rieu received violin lessons. After finishing school, the young musician studied at the Liège Conservatory with Herman Krebbers and Arthur Grumiaux, where he passed the final examination with distinction in 1977. During his time as a student he also discovered his love for three-quarter time, which made him an admirer of the composers Johann Strauss and Franz Léhar. From the beginning of the 1980s he played within the ensemble of "Het Maastrichts Salon Orchest". Numerous performances followed together in the Netherlands as well as in the German and Belgian border areas.

The first studio recordings were also made at this time. He then named his orchestra the "Johann Strauss Orchestra" in recognition of the master of three-quarter time. In 1994 André Rieu released his first studio album entitled "Strauß & Co". His first international tour followed with his orchestra of 44 musicians. He celebrated his breakthrough in 1995 with the album "Wiener Melange". From then on, Rieu was a regular guest on numerous music programs in the field of folk and pop music. In 1998 André Rieu was awarded the "Golden Tuning Fork". In the same year he released his album "Romantic Moments". Meanwhile, the musician, who turned to classical music for his central themes, became one of the most successful soloists in Europe.

Rieu also founded his own record company with a recording studio, which is one of the largest and most modern of its kind due to its requirements. Since then, his concerts and tours have been organized by his own companies. The Rieu Group grew to have several hundred employees. These include musicians, stage designers, tailors, technicians, supervisors and logisticians who accompany the major events. His album "Music to Dream" was released in 2001. In 2003 he was again awarded the "Golden Tuning Fork". Meanwhile, Andre Rieu lived with his family near Maastricht, where he became the owner of the castle "De Torentjet". In 2005, a TV home story for the musician was created together with presenter Florian Silbereisen.
- IMDb mini biography by: Christian_Wolfgang_Barth