Interview With André Rieu's Son Pierre Rieu

Interview With André Rieu's Son Pierre Rieu

PIERRE RIEU April 12, 2011: When you have experienced a concert just once, you want to be part of it. Pierre Rieu, son of André, stopped his law studies after five weeks. "I was already working in my Dad's organization, and I liked it a lot better"

Who: Pierre Rieu
Born: June 24, 1981, Maastricht
Education: Atheneum (High School), law studies (five weeks) at the University of Maastricht
Career: 1996 Guide on a former military fortress at Eben-Emael, Belgium, 2000 Technical Production Managers with André Rieu Productions BV, since 2005 Vice President

►What did you want to be when you were ten?
"For a long time I wanted to be a fireman and afterwards a lawyer. I hardly knew what the profession of a lawyer entailed. When I began my law studies, I found out after five weeks that I did not like it. So my mother said, "Then stop with it." Fortunately it was not of importance to her, so that was a great relief. At that time I was already working in my dad's business and I found that to be much more fun."

►What was your first job?
"As a little boy of ten I was helping in the technical department of André, which then consisted of about five people. Carrying things, operating the tailgate of the truck. I always wanted to be in the company, even when I wanted to be a lawyer. If you've experienced a concert only once, you want to be part of it. It is a club of friends. When I began in 2000 as technical production manager, we already employed about fifty people. After traveling a few years with the technical department I felt I could do more than tell dirty jokes on the bus. André handed me more and more tasks. In that manner I became more valuable to the company. From that moment on I no longer joined them on every tour. Now I travel all over the world to prepare for the concerts. We are preparing for a tour in Brazil in March, April next year. My title, Vice President, I especially need for the Americans. When you are talking with people in the United States, you need a business card with a title. Even though my last name Rieu."

►The best advice I ever received?
Education. I've read that somewhere in an interview with Anne-Sophie Mutter, a German violinist. I think that's a good goal to strive for. That is one of the reasons I wanted to grow from production manager to vice president."

►What was in essence the message in your childhood?

"My father was with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra when we were little. He rehearsed when we were at school and in the evening was the performance. When we came home from school then he was always there, very nice. My three year older brother Marc and I were raised fairly liberal. Although there were certain expectations from us. For example, every year during our summer vacation we went to a language camp for three weeks: every year a different country. I speak all my languages fluently. I'm now studying for Portuguese for when we go to Brazil. You have such a huge advantage when you can converse with people in their own language."

►What was the most formative experience in your life?
"After the kick-off of the World Stadium Tour (where a life-size replica of the Viennese Schönbrunn castle served as a backdrop) in Toronto at the end of 2007 I had a breakdown. I had long been under a lot of stress. That led to where I now regularly ask myself "How I'm doing?" although it sounds quite silly. My body tells me when I'm too busy, I lie in bed at night with heart palpitations. Then ask myself: 'Okay, what I am concerned about?" Now I know better and know where my limits are. I am particularly worried when I have a conflict with people. I really fear that."

►What is the most important decision you've made in your life? "In 2007 we were producing a DVD of a few concerts we had conducted in the Efteling. A colleague called me and said, "The project leader of the Efteling is truly someone for you." I did not understand at that time what he was talking about of course. I already had a girl friend then, and my colleague knew that, since that girl was a member of our orchestra. My current wife and I worked closely together for four months in preparation of that DVD. My colleague turned out to be right. It was quite a major life decision to terminate my relationship and move on with her."

►How many people in your life have you fired?
"Maybe five. Horrible. But it had to be done, these people were exceeding the bounds and the group was bothered by them. We do so much traveling with the group that it is extremely important that everyone can work together. When I have to make those kinds of tough decisions, I call a good friend who is manager of four McDonald's restaurants. He has 350 young people under him and has been exposed to every situation. After I have spoken with him, I know exactly how to approach the situation."

►What is your strength?
"In difficult situations I remain extremely calm all the way through. At such times I am standing there as the responsible individual and people come to me when they can no longer handle it. On the inside I am very nervous, but in such situations it works for me to bring peace to the people and to ensure that we solve our problem soon. That comes naturally to me. I think I inherited that from my mother, she is also very calm ... Unlike my father, who can be very stressed out."

►Without luck, no success: When were you successful?
"Shortly after I joined the company, we went on tour in America. My dad conceived the idea to bring three buses from the Netherlands along. It means a lot to him to sit in his own bus with his own driver. The buses were already on their way to America when our insurance company said that they could not cover them. So on my own I flew to New York to arrange for insurance. Can you imagine being an insurance agent and you have this 19-year-old boy from the Netherlands on the phone who says he wants all risk insurance on three busses which will carry sixty people on a one month U.S. tour. He would declare you to be crazy. After many calls I finally got someone on the phone who had heard of André. "Oh Andrew, I'm a big fan," he said. At the very last moment I managed to complete everything."

►What is your greatest fear?
"To lose some one dear. When André became ill last September (Rieu Sr. had a virus infection on his equilibrium which caused him to cancel many international concerts) that thought had crossed my mind. The big world star suddenly appeared fragile. Emotionally it was intense. Although I did not think he would die."

A Big Thanks to John for his ©Translation of this on a Sunday and Sonja for finding it for us.