André's Birthday is tomorrow, October 1st

Happy Birthday André!!

And - André told John Suchet in Rome yesterday he will have a new grandchild in January!

Violinist Alina-Lin Jong Paintings

Travel Impressions by Rieu Orchestra On Canvas

People, colors, landscapes. A journey with the orchestra of André Rieu is never boring. Since 1991 Alina-Lin Jong has been a violinist in the world famous orchestra. Many impressions she experiences during the journeys she translates into colorful paintings with quirky abstracts. For Saturday and Sunday the Wynja studio will combine paintings, sculptures and music in an extraordinary triptych exhibition. In addition to paintings by Alina Lin there will also be sculptures by Trudy Steegh. The exhibition starts with the third form of art: music. Accompanied on the piano by her partner Ruud Merx, Alina Lin will perform concerts on both days.

While studying at the Conservatory of Maastricht, Alina Lin joined Rieu's orchestra through one of her classmates. "Back then we were only with thirteen musicians. We rehearsed weekly and had a couple of gigs a year in Limburg." The orchestra broke through in 1994 with the Second Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich, it became a hit and since then, the orchestra travels all over the world. "We just returned from South America. Santiago had four sold-out concerts and in Lima 17.000 people attended a concert . "You can make people happy with music everywhere", she says. "Critics do not find the Rieu orchestra a classical orchestra. That does not matter. It's not a competition. Many people experience classical music as being heavy. We play a much more accessible, lighter repertoire. And the audience is allowed to chat or dance. That's what makes it so special."

Alina-Lin met her husband Ruud Merx in the orchestra. "He is the trombonist who balances the trombone on his chin." Ruud will also be at the Wynja studio to accompany his wife on the piano. On Saturday and Sunday they will perform a concert of about an hour. The program remains a surprise. "It is a light repertoire and we are taking a small world trip. Ruud is quite excited about it. And: one is allowed to sing along."

In addition to her part-time job with André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra, Alina Lin paints. "It's for relaxation. I love color and shape. Sometimes something unaware of my travels appears in the paintings. "In fact an Australian soprano discovered a lane from Brisbane in one of the paintings. "It is very nice to hear that people recognize something."

During the exhibition Trudy Steegh will show sculptures which exude a sense of security, belonging and power. She captures emotions in stone. Her sculptures show people's important emotional moments. Intimate, loving and with a melancholy character. Trudy works from her own emotions and spirituality. Stone, perception and intuition are for her the guidance for a figurative design 'which make you ponder for a while.' Picture: Sietse - Thank you to John for the Translation and Benny Geets for sending the article.

A Chapter From: "Rieu, Maestro Without Borders"

A Chapter From The Book
"Rieu, Maestro Without Borders"
INTERVIEW WITH GOSHA TARNOWSKI

Istanbul, November 2014: By  Maaike Meijer - Gosha handles the makeup of all orchestra members, clothes them and makes - together with Nelly Custers and Mien Depondt - all the dresses. She has been working for Rieu for fourteen years already. "I know what André has in mind, I know his taste. He always looks at our design, but also to the final result, when the orchestra member tries the dress on for the first time. Often he changes something on it. Many of the dresses which are currently being worn are still designed by Nellie Custers. We do not work according to a historical model, and, contrary to what some people think, no copies are made of nineteenth-century Viennese ball gowns, contrary to what some people might think. It is the Italian wedding which inspires us, where the bride is often dressed in an flamboyant style. All dresses run from a narrow waist, with a petticoat, so that they stand out full from the center outwards.

André himself selects the fabrics. He likes beautiful clothes and historical costumes. Whenever we make a new dress, we also take into account what the wearer would like. For a dress that would be crucial to a performance, such as the one for soloist Carla Maffioletti, we purchase ten times as much fabric as is needed, and then André decides what he finds most suitable. The color of the dress should compliment the personality of the person.

A dress needs six meters of fabric. We do not use silk, because it doesn’t wash well. Satin is better. The clothing must be durable, because it will be subjected to a lot of packing and unpacking. If we – no matter where - find exceptionally beautiful dresses anywhere which are particularly well suited for someone, we will purchase them. They must have classic allure, radiate wealth and breathe historic atmosphere. André has a vision in his head; he really visualizes an image, and we attempt to approach that.

When designing, we also have to take into account the changing of costumes. That often needs to happen quickly. A soloist may have to change costumes four times within the same performance and that also means four different sets of matching shoes and jewelry. Fortunately I’m not prone to stress. Sometimes a zipper breaks on stage and then you have to solve the problem within a minute, often quickly stitching it up and then figure out how to repair it permanently and properly later. All that matters is that it looks good on stage … ‘The show must go on’.

The costumes have changed over the years. The dresses used to have a more common style, with large puff sleeves. The fabrics used to be more lustrous and colorful and often even had a opalescent sheen. That was followed by a transitional period, with lots of embroidery and ‘old-fashioned’ designs. Today the costumes are more modern. They have also become more expensive: a dress takes 120 work hours to make, which, together with the cost of the fabric, represents a cost of three-and-a-half thousand Euros. The decorations and rhinestones are sewn on by hand.

We have an excellent seamstress in our team and two embroiderers. Every lady in the Orchestra has four dresses. We have the entire outfits in four-fold, including the instruments. So do the math: fifteen thousand Euros per female orchestra member. But through those dresses our orchestra is not a boring black and white scenario like other orchestras. We also have beautiful little jackets, because it can be cold and the ladies have plunging necklines.

The men’s outfits are not as labor intensive – ha-ha – but they too have four tuxedos each (tailcoats), which we buy from tailors who do customized sewing. They cost twelve hundred Euros each. The tuxedos have also been modernized over the years. Adjustments are made to ensure a perfect fit whenever someone loses or picks up some weight. The suit has to fit well, has to breathe and allow for ease of movement, a cellist for instance needs sleeves that allow for big movements which are essential when playing that instrument. 

I start each concert at eight o'clock with the makeup for the tenors. Many of the ladies do that themselves, but the men there are less skillful in that. After the show I am still busy for a long time, packing, laundering shirts. The men's shirts have to be washed after every performance, but I like doing that. They must always look pristine when on stage."

Translation by John (USA) and Entia (South Africa) - We thank the Publisher for their permission to translate this for The Harmony Parlor

Information about the book: Dutch title: Rieu, Maestro Zonder Grenzen. Available in Dutch only. Authors: Maaike Meijer, Peter Peters, Jac. van den Boogard. Publisher: De Bezige Bij and can be ordered at ►   Bol.com

André Rieu 2016 Maastricht Concert Dates

The 2016 Maastricht Concerts will take place on 8, 9 and 10 of July 2016.

Ticket sales for Gold Members to begin on 24 September 2015. The official ticket sales will start Saturday 26 September 2015. 

Good luck to those contemplating the purchase of tickets.

André Rieu is Coming To USA Theaters!

 ►Coming To USA Cinemas on October 20th!!

‘André Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert’ With Exclusive Interview Comes to Select U.S. Cinemas for One Night This October

Fathom Events, CinemaLive, André Rieu Productions and Universal Music Bring ‘The King of Waltz’ André Rieu’s Legendary Hometown Performance to the Big Screen on October 20 Only.

Experience a magnificent musical performance when “André Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert” comes to select cinemas nationwide for one night on Tuesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. (local time). Recorded live in the breathtaking setting of Rieu’s medieval hometown in Maastricht, The Netherlands, the concert has already broken box office records in the UK, The Netherlands, Denmark and Australia, and stars the Dutch maestro, along with his famous 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, sopranos, tenors and some very special guests entertaining the audience with stunning performances, spectacular fireworks and sublime music. The theatrical event boasts extra features curated specifically for cinema audiences including an exclusive interview with André moments after he steps off stage.

“We are thrilled to bring this extraordinary concert event to U.S. cinemas all the way from The Netherlands”

Tickets for “André Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 210 movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

The concert features many notable guest artists and soloists, including Australian soprano Mirusia Louwerse, whom André calls the “Angel of Australia,” and The Platin Tenors. Some of the many highlights of André Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert in cinemas include Mirusia’s deeply emotional rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”; the stirring “This Land is Mine” from Exodus and André’s signature waltz “The Blue Danube” and many more.

Rieu said, "I am so delighted that my hometown concert will be coming to cinemas! It's going to be an incredible evening - and I can promise you it will be a musical night to remember. If you can't join us in Maastricht, we will come to you, in your local cinema."

“We are thrilled to bring this extraordinary concert event to U.S. cinemas all the way from The Netherlands,” said John Rubey, CEO of Fathom Events. “André Rieu captivated the audience during his historic hometown show in Maastricht, and now we can offer the same sensational concert to U.S. audiences.”

CinemaLive CEO & Co-director Peter Skillman said, “We are very excited to be working with Fathom Events to bring André Rieu’s record-breaking 2015 Maastricht concert to cinema audiences in the U.S. as André’s worldwide cinema audience continues to grow year on year.”

For artwork/photos related to “André Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert,” visit the Fathom Events press site.

About Fathom Events

Fathom Events is the recognized leader in the alternative entertainment industry, offering a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events in movie theaters nationwide that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, the performing arts, major sporting events, music concerts, comedy series, Broadway shows, original programming featuring entertainment’s biggest stars, socially relevant documentaries with audience Q&A and much more. Fathom Events takes audiences behind-the-scenes and offers unique extras, creating the ultimate entertainment experience. It is owned by a consortium called AC JV, LLC., comprised of AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest movie theater circuits in the United States. In addition, Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live events to 820 locations in 177 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

About André Rieu

Known for his energetic and festive live performances and with album and DVD sales of more than 40 million worldwide, André is the world’s leading pop classical artist and consistently appears on the worldwide list of highest-grossing touring artists. Since his Johann Strauss Orchestra, with up to 60 musicians, began in 1987, his spectacular live shows have gained him hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world. In 2014, 700,000 people saw his live shows – with an audience of over 100,000 in the UK alone!

André Rieu and members of his Orchestra attend the red carpet of 

The 'Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel' Show at Velodrom

September 19, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.

Come Along With Anthony and Read His Adventure!

Come Along With Anthony and Read His Adventure!

Excerpt: But it was after the concerts in Maastricht when everything changed. Ineke and Ruud contacted me about Michael Wiseman, a producer who was interested in old tour programs. So I emailed him and after some messages I received the best news of my whole life! He offered me to come to my house with his camera team so I could show them all my memorabilia. I immediately said ‘yes’ without doubt. And finally the time arrived - Michael sent me some more messages about the meeting and I didn’t believe what I was about to happen until one hour before leaving Lima I received a message with the exact time he was going to come to my house, so I went to the airport with all my nervousness in me.

► Click HERE To Read Anthony's Full Story With Many Photos!