ANDRÉ RIEU (1949)

André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (Maastricht, October 1, 1949) is a Dutch violinist and orchestra conductor who, with his performances of popular classical works by Johann Strauss and others, is known to the general public.

Although his commercial approach has attracted much criticism, he has been popular with a wide audience around the world for thirty years. Rieu plays a Stradivarius from 1732. His Johann Strauß Orchestra started with 12 members in 1987, with the first concert on January 1, 1988.

As the years progressed, the company grew, which now plays with 80 to 150 musicians.
Rieu plays with his orchestra all over the world: in Europe, North and South America and in Australia. The shows are so big that they can compete with rock performances: in 2008 the tour of Rieu had a replica of the castle of Sissi, at that time the largest tour set ever.

The big breakthrough came in 1994 with the Second Waltz from the Suite for Variété orchestra of Dmitri Shostakovich, which became an unexpected (hit) success.

Recordings by André Rieu you can hear at Instrumentals Forever:

Second waltz
Strauss Party
Arrival
Bolero from _10_
Butterfly
Chiquitita
Dancing Queen
Edelweiss from ”The Sound of Music”
Heigh-Ho – Someday My Prince Will Come from ”Snow White”
I Have A Dream
J’attendrai
John Dunbar’s Theme from ”Dances With Wolves”
La montagne
La vie en rose – Padam padam – Sous les ponts de Paris
Lara’s Theme from ”Dr Zhivago”
Les corons
Les feuilles mortes
Love Theme from ”Romeo and Juliet”
Main Title from ”Once Upon A Time In The West”
Main Title from ”The Godfather”
Mamma Mia
Milord
Mon amant de Saint-Jean
Money Money Money
Moon River from ”Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
Moulin Rouge – Paris canaille
Plaisir d’amour
Pour un flirt
Romance from ”The Gadfly”
Sous le ciel de Paris
Stranger In Paradise from ”Kismet”
Thank You ABBA
Thank You For The Music
The Second Waltz
The Second Waltz from ”Eyes Wide Shut”
The Way Old Friends Do
The Windmills Of Your Mind from ”The Thomas Crown Affair”
The Winner Takes It All
True Love from ”High Society”
Waterloo
Zorba’s Dance