André Rieu

Born in Maastricht in 1949, Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu established himself on the international classical scene by developing a repertoire centred on the Viennese waltz and light music. Trained notably at the conservatories of Liège and Maastricht, Rieu began by leading a small salon ensemble before founding the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987, which became the core of his artistic activity. With this expanded ensemble, he built programmes combining Strauss arrangements, excerpts from operettas, film music themes, popular songs, and accessible classical pieces, within an aesthetic of festive, melodic orchestral music. From the 1990s onward, André Rieu recorded numerous albums and filmed concert programmes, often captured in emblematic halls and squares across Europe, followed by tours in the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. His concerts, in which he appears both as soloist and conductor, give prominent space to guest singers, choirs, and interaction with the audience.