André Rieu The Biggest Violinist You've Never Heard Of

André Rieu and His Johann Strauss Orchestra

The Sunday Times, United Kingdom
December 20, 2009 by Tim cooper

André Rieu ~ the biggest violinist you've never heard of. He’s bigger than Springsteen and has a bodyguard for his Stradivarius, so why is the Dutch musician so little known? As showbiz entrances go, it could hardly be more spectacular. A procession of musicians in lavish period costumes parade through a football stadium packed with 25,000 fans, to the tune of 76 Trombones.

At their head, “conducting” them with a violin bow as they wend their way towards a colossal replica of a Hapsburg palace that takes up an entire side of the stadium, is a tall man in formal attire, sporting a tail coat, a mullety mane of grey hair and an enormous grin.

And well might he grin. Because this is André Rieu, the so-called King of Waltz and the biggest-grossing male music performer in the world. In Billboard magazine’s summer list of the top 25 tours of the year, he lay in fourth place, behind Madonna, Britney and Tina Turner, and ahead of Céline Dion, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John. He had grossed more than £35m — double the takings of Coldplay — and been seen by more than 550,000 people.

Six months later, his 30th Anniversary Tour of Europe tops the magazine’s Hot Tour rankings.Yet, unless you caught his spot on the Royal Variety Performance earlier this month, when he arrived in Blackpool by private jet with an entourage of more than 100 including the bodyguard whose sole duty it is to baby-sit his £2m Stradivarius you will probably never have heard of him.

Festive Concert with André Rieu is on Five on December 27; "Forever Vienna" is out on CD on December 28.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE AT: ►Sunday Times UK Article on André