André Rieu is a remarkable optimist — a man who had big dreams and worked hard to make them come true. Even when life took a downward turn he kept his head up, his ambitions big, and swiftly worked his way back to the top.
The Dutch violinist and conductor has taken classical music and given it to the masses through large-scale touring concerts with elaborate sets and fabulously costumed performers. He has legions of fans who stand in rapture, dancing in the aisles at the remarkable spectacle that Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra present. Watching them revere and celebrate Rieu is almost a show within itself.
Through it all, Marjorie, Rieu’s wife of 48 years, is at his side. They are a true partnership; whether working together professionally or raising their family, they do it all as a unit.
“I was always dreaming of having a wife who would work together with me. That’s the truth. I don’t know why, but it was in me from a very young age. It was something I was looking forward to being part of when I was older. It was really a joy when I met Marjorie, and I knew from the beginning that this woman would become my wife, who I would work with and live with.”
Their relationship is like something from a fairytale — they met as young children when Rieu was 11 and Marjorie was 13.
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“The first time we met, Marjorie was in school with my sister. I knew she was the one. When we got together, we married quickly, and we are still together now 48 years later.”
To add to the fairytale, the couple live in a 17th-century castle in Maastricht, and not just any castle. Its previous owner was Charles de Batz-Castelmore, Count D’Artagnan, better known as D’Artagnan, the fourth musketeer in Alexandre Dumas’s classic novel, The Three Musketeers.
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Like finding a wife who would be his partner, Rieu dreamt of one day living in a castle.
“It was always a dream of mine to live in a castle. I am a fan of Tintin. In the book, the professor buys this big castle. I was reading the story as a young boy and thought it must be fantastic to live in a castle, so I dreamt that one day I would; so when I could afford to, I bought a castle.”
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Many children dream of living in a castle, but few get the chance. Rieu is two for two on his childhood wishes. First, a collaborative relationship and second, a castle to call home. So does he manifest his dreams into reality? The answer is yes.
“People can manage to make their dreams come true when they really have a dream. When you really believe. My dream was to have a wife to work with, so I found one. The next was of living in a castle. There is only one castle in Maastricht, so I bought it. My third was to have my own orchestra and travel the world with them, so I found an orchestra and took them travelling. It sounds like a cliché, but if you really have a dream, you can fulfil it. I am proof of it.”
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Rieu has broken many perceptions of classical music as elitist. His performance style and his orchestra’s showmanship have made the genre accessible and opened new worlds of music to millions of concertgoers, but it was not something he set out to do. Rather it was a byproduct of his style.
“It happened along the way because it’s my character. I am really fond of classical music, but I also like other music, music that touches my heart. That can be Michael Jackson or Bruce Springsteen or whatever; I have never said no, no, no, that’s not classical, I won’t play it. If it touches my heart, then it’s good enough to play on stage.”
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This attitude has gained many followers, but it had a detrimental effect on Rieu’s relationship with his parents, particularly his father, Andries, a conductor with the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra.
“They were not happy with what I did because they educated me to be a classical musician. It was not a good relationship; but I had a dream, and I wanted to fulfil it, so that’s what I did.”
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As Rieu began to experience fame, his parents did not change their minds about their son’s career direction, but he says that is how life can be; you have to keep going. It did, however, inform Rieu and Marjorie how they would raise their two sons, Marc and Pierre. Music may be in their blood, but they were under no obligation to follow in their father’s footsteps.
“From the first moment, we said they could do whatever they wanted, and we wouldn’t be annoyed if they chose something different. I’m very happy; they are two lucky men. I have five grandchildren, and even the grandchildren love my music, so that’s a big compliment. Of course, they listen to all sorts of TikToks or whatever, but they respect what grandfather does and even like my concerts. I could not wish for more.”
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Pierre manages André Rieu Productions, and it was his suggestion to record his father’s concerts for broadcast in cinemas globally.
“My son came up with the idea 10 or 12 years ago to put my concerts in cinemas, and I said that it’s not possible, how would people connect? We tried it out, and from the first moment, I heard stories about people in the cinemas standing up, dancing, singing and crying, so it was immediately a success. It is about the interaction with the audience, that’s what I’m looking for and why I travel the world. The interaction still comes across the screen, so people who cannot come to the concert can still see and feel the connection in the cinema.”
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One would be forgiven for thinking that a Rieu show is akin to theatre. The set design, the costumes and the dancers appear as a well-oiled machine — but unlike theatre, spontaneity is key to Rieu’s work.
“Theatre is something completely choreographed and rehearsed, every step is prepared. That’s not so with my concerts. Every night is different, there is so much room for spontaneity, and that is what the audiences appreciate. I’m so proud that when people buy tickets for my concert or the cinema, they don’t know what they will get. They only know when you go to a concert of André, you will have an evening you will never forget, and I will send them home with a smile on their face.”
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The musician has a second family: his orchestra and performers, a 110-strong group who travel the world with him.
“I can say I have two families. I have family, my wife, sons and grandchildren; and then I have my other family. We are together 250 days a year, travelling the world. And that’s not only being on stage but also being at the hotel together, on buses and planes. It’s really a fantastic experience for me, being together with such young people. It keeps me young, and I think they see me as a father; it’s really a nice relationship.”
Rieu is 73 and has performed in some of the most esteemed venues in the world and collaborated with many artists, including Sir Anthony Hopkins, but he shows no signs of slowing down and is constantly open to new ideas and collaboration.
“Life is spontaneous; things just come my way. That’s how my life has always been. Perhaps tomorrow, someone with beautiful music will come along, and I would love to work with him. That’s how I live, and it’s a very pleasant way to live.”
Ideas and inspiration come from everything and anything. In many ways, Rieu never stops working, but that is not a bad thing, he says.
“Ideas can come from the smallest things, a bird flying by or something someone says in passing. I like it that way, you have to let inspiration come when it wants to.”
He admits to being a workaholic; but again, Rieu sees that as a positive. “I have a lot of energy, I can work many hours, but I don’t get stressed. Do it easy and never be stressed; that is the key to achieving but get lots of sleep. I am a bigger believer in sleep.”
Rieu’s optimism should be bottled and sold as a side-line business. In penetrates everything he does, even when things go wrong. A few years ago, he lost millions when he overinvested in a show that included building an actual castle as part of a set. Despite this loss, he bounced back and is now more successful than ever.
“I have an incurable, positive mind; that is why I always believed, even when I was in trouble, that everything would be OK again. I infected the people at the bank with my positive mind. I convinced them to support me and let me play because I pointed out that that was the only way they could get their money back. They agreed to help me, and the year after that catastrophe, I went from something like minus 16 million to plus 20 million. I stayed positive, and it worked out.”
Like many other musicians, Rieu is especially fond of Irish audiences.
“I don’t say because you are Irish, but the Irish audience is always incredible. I’ve travelled the whole world, but I’m so looking forward to playing in Ireland next because the Irish people are musicians, and everybody sings. It’s really fantastic.”
André Rieu in Dublin will be screened in cinemas in Ireland and the UK on January 7 and 8, andreincinemas.com
