André Rieu: World’s Most Successful Violinist to Perform in Vancouver
A native of Maastricht, Netherlands and born into a musical family, superstar André Rieu is the world’s most successful violinist and best-selling classical musician of all times. His father was conductor of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra and André started playing the violin at the age of 5.
In 1978 André founded his first own ensemble, the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. In 1987 it became the Johann Strauss Orchestra, which is currently the biggest private orchestra in the world.
André Rieu has made classical music accessible to millions around the world and has turned the waltz into an international sensation and has had soccer crowds swaying to Shostakovitch.
His romantic and joyful programs include a mixture of light classics, waltzes, music from film and opera as well as pop songs. His concerts are also a visual treat, from the sight of Rieu and his musicians entering through the crowd and up on to the stage at the beginning
of the concert, to the lavish costumes and the vast screen behind the orchestra displaying beautiful imagery tailor-made for each song. André Rieu performs for over half a million people each year. His YouTube videos have reached far over one billion views and over 8 million fans follow the “King of Waltz” on Facebook. André Rieu is not just for an evening. He is for life
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