Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1949-10-01 (Age: 77)
Place of Birth
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
André Rieu
Biography
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (born 1 October 1949) is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He resides in his native Maastricht. The name Rieu is of French Huguenot origin, though both of Rieu's parents were Roman Catholic. André was born to Andries Antonie Rieu and is the third of six children. Rieu's father was conductor of the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra. Showing early promise, André began studying violin at the age of five. From a very early age, he developed a fascination with orchestra. He studied violin at the Conservatoire Royal in Liège and at the Conservatorium Maastricht, (1968–1973), studying under Jo Juda and Herman Krebbers. From 1974 to 1977, he attended the Music Academy in Brussels, studying with André Gertler. He completed his training with the distinction "Premier Prix" from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He married Marjorie Kochmann in 1975. She has been a language teacher and has written compositions. They have two sons. He speaks six languages: Dutch, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Rieu created the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987 and began with 12 members, giving its first concert on 1 January 1988. As of 2020, he performs with between 50 and 60 musicians. Rieu plays a 1667 Stradivarius violin. Rieu and his orchestra have appeared throughout Europe, North and South America, Japan, and Australia. In 2008, Rieu's tour featured a full-size reproduction of Empress Sisi's Castle, the biggest stage to have gone on tour at that time. For two weeks in 2013, one of the channels of the BSkyB group, Sky Arts 2 in the UK, was renamed as Sky Arts Rieu. Between 30 March and 14 April 2013 Sky Arts Rieu broadcast Rieu concerts and documentaries 24 hours per day. Rieu also composed music for the 2014 film Tuscan Wedding. Source: Article "André Rieu" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmography (88)
Andre Rieu's 2026 Christmas Concert Let It Snow
2026
André Rieu's 2026 Summer Concert: Viva Maastricht!
2026
André Rieu - Live in Bahrain 2025
2025
Christmas with André Rieu - Live in Maastricht
2025
André Rieu's 2025 Maastricht Concert - Waltz the Night Away!
2025
André Rieu's 75th Birthday Celebration - The Dream Continues
2025
André Rieu's 2024 Christmas Concert: Gold and Silver
2024
André Rieu - Das große Open-Air-Konzert 2024
2024
André Rieu - Power of Love
2024
André Rieu's White Christmas
2023
André Rieu - Love is All Around
2023
André Rieu - Live in Dublin 2023
2023
André Rieu - Happy Days are Here Again!
2022
André Rieu - Christmas with André
2021
