Would you believe that André is due to come back and perform in Auckland in exactly 60 days from today? Then, of course, down to Christchurch to perform his first ever Christchurch concert :-).

Time sure does fly past when your watching André DVDs!

I just thought I'd remind you all about the Meet & Greet, to be held just before the Auckland concert at the Copthorne Hotel (See the original post here). It's a friendly meet and greet for any André fans, and is welcome to absolutely everyone! :-)

Also, if you are one of the lucky ones :P heading across the ditch for an André concert, you may have read on the guestbook about the Meet & Greet being held in Melbourne. If not you haven't heard, and are going to be in Melbourne on the 17th of October, read Val's post below:

Roll on October!

My African Dream DVD coming this Monday
August 19 - 2010
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I have received a few emails asking when the André in Africa DVD is to be released. Well details are out, and it's this Monday the 23rd of August. - At your local Marbecks Store anyway. The Warehouse is soon to follow, but whether they will release it on the 23rd as well is unknown.

Also, Marbecks have informed me that they are having a sale on André CD's & DVD's, so check out here or your local Marbecks Store.

Go and check out the updated CDs & DVDs page ;-)

WIN Big André Concert Package Competition!
August 17 - 2010
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A new André competition is out, and already running, all you have to do is listen to the Coast from... Now.

The Competition blurb:

Check out The Coast's website to see what your local frequency is.

Good luck!

Maastricht Concert Report by Kiwi Barbara
August 4 - 2010
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You may have seen Barbara Henderson with her father, Bill, at the Auckland concert last year, or you may have read some of her posts in the guest book. Well Barbara and her father, Bill, recently came back from a 9 day holiday in Holland, attending a few of André's concerts at the Vrijthof in Maastricht.

Barbara has kindly emailed me her report of her trip. Feel free to check it out and leave a comment :-)

Click here to read the report

Thanks Barbara!

Marie's Report of the Live Screening in Wellington
July 23 - 2010
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If you can think back to last Sunday evening, July the 18th, you may remember that the concert at the Vrijthof in Maastricht, was to be streamed live to cinemas all around the world - including New Zealand. And it was. I can only imagine what it was like, so I'll wait for the Maastricht 4 DVD to hit the stores, so I can watch it.

For the meanwhile, Marie Mackley has kindly written a small report of the Live Screening at the Reading Cinema in Wellington. You can read her report via the 'Reports & Photos' page.

So go have a read and leave a comment :-)

Thanks Marie for sharing!

A Report on the Baltimore Concert in the States
July 21 - 2010
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Jeanine Ann from AndreRieuFans.com recently emailed to me her report of an André concert held in Baltimore, in the United States. She writes it as a letter to André, a lovely read. Go check it out at the 'Reports & Photos' page ;-)

Thanks for your report Jeanine Ann!

Cruise + Concert Packages for Maastricht & Vienna 2011!
July 15 - 2010
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I was walking in the Sunny Tauranga streets this morning, and noticed this poster on the window of a Mondo Travel store.

"As Australia & New Zealand's premier Europe river cruising operator, APT has secured a number of André Rieu concert tickets in advance of their release for sale to the general public. Which means that, whether the concert is in Vienna or Maastricht, APT guest are guaranteed to enjoy the very best seating category possible."

For the first time (as far as I'm aware), a New Zealand travel company is [finally] offering André Rieu concert packages to Europe.

There are three cruise packages on offer; one package includes the concert in Vrijthof, Maastricht, and the other two packages include the concert at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Tim at Mondo Travel Tauranga was kind enough to email me a copy of the poster, which includes prices and a general outline of what each package contains. Click on the picture above or click here to download the poster (.PDF format).

If you're interested in more information on the packages, head down to your local Mondo travel store. Or if you're in Tauranga, contact Tim Jensen and he'll help you out. Free phone: 0800 22 44 62.

Are you interested? Or have you already planned for next years concerts? Let us know via comments or the guestbook. :-)
 

André Live from Maastricht via satellite on July 18th
July 3 - 2010
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Just thought I'd remind you that André's concert in Maastricht in July will be beamed live via satellite to cinemas around the world, including two in New Zealand!

Now I've looked on the Reading Cinemas website, but I have only been able to find available tickets for the Wellington session time, not the Christchurch session. So it appears that only the Wellington session has tickets available. But I'll update this post should I find out whether there are tickets available for the Christchurch session.

To purchase tickets for the Wellington session, click here. Are you going to either the of the sessions? Let us know via the comments or guestbook! ;-)

Below is the international press release...
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Classical superstar André Rieu, one of the world’s most successful artists, is coming to cinemas all over Europe for an exclusive broadcast of the July 2010 installment of his renowned Live In Maastricht concert. Arts Alliance Media, Europe’s leading alternative content provider, are bringing the event via satellite to cinemas in 27 countries.

The concert is being captured live, and will be delivered via satellite to cinemas in countries including the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic, and Hungary for a special one-night-only performance on July 20^th.

A musical phenomenon, André Rieu is unlike anything else in the entertainment world. Music fans can expect the experience of a lifetime when they witness the only classical concerts where the audience jump to their feet and dance in the aisles. The highest-charting classical instrumentalist of all time, having topped the Billboard Hot Tour rankings with his sold-out World Stadium Tour last year, André Rieu will now be bringing his spectacular production to cinemas across Europe.

Performed in front of thousands of fans in the open air in André Rieu’s home town of Maastricht, the highly lavish concerts feature Rieu’s famous 50-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra performing crowd-pleasing music against some of the most elaborate and expensive sets ever seen.

Now fans in 27 countries can see for themselves just why André Rieu is the biggest solo male touring artist in the world. Conducting the Johann Strauss Orchestra with his violin bow – just like the composer himself – Rieu’s onstage charisma and rock-star demeanour make this cinema event simply irresistible, and now fans can experience the show themselves in pristine digital cinema quality.

www.andrerieuincinemas.com

The total running time is 120mins / 2 hours (which includes an interval).

G20 protests force André to cancel Toronto show in Canada
June 27 - 2010
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André announced via his Facebook page today (6 hours ago to be exact), that due to violent protests in Toronto, the concert which was to be held at the Air Canada Centre this evening, has been cancelled. However, another wall post was posted on André's Facebook page saying that it has been postponed. More details soon. Below is an article from a Toronto news outlet.
---

Video of concert in Germany
June 17 - 2010
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Ruud from André Rieu Movies has emailed me with a link to his website for a video of an André Rieu concert in Mainau, Germany.

Dutch newspaper AD celebrates 30 years of André Rieu with 'Unique' book & DVD
May 22 - 2010
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The following press release was sent to me from Irene Frankhuijzen, of AD; a Dutch newspaper.

I have sent an email off to Irene enquiring on whether this DVD & book will be available to order for people outside of the Netherlands, as the website included in the article is in Dutch. I'll update this post when necessary.

See André Live In Maastricht 2010 at a theatre near you!
May 21 - 2010
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In a first for Australia and New Zealand, CinemaLive delivers direct via satellite to a cinema near you, André Rieu captured live in his home town Maastricht, The Netherlands.

CinemaLive are excited to announce they will bring one of André Rieu’s annual concert series from his hometown of Maastricht, in The Netherlands to his fans around Australia and New Zealand! The concert will be broadcast to cinemas and big screens Direct Via satellite to New Zealand (time shifted for your enjoyment) on July 18 at 6pm. Go to www.cinemalive.com for more information.

In 2009, CinemaLive broadcast André’s Acer Arena Spectacular in Sydney to cinemas LIVE across Australia and into André’s home country, The Netherlands. This event was such a success, André and CinemaLive will now be bringing his famous Maastricht extravaganza to audiences’ in Australia and New Zealand!

André Rieu is one of the world’s most successful touring artists and each year he performs a series of concerts in his hometown of Maastricht in The Netherlands. These concerts are performed in front of thousands of fans and set amongst the cultural backdrop of his beautiful hometown. As always, André is joined by his famous Johann Strauss Orchestra. The Maastricht concerts are André’s most popular concerts of his yearly schedule with his most dedicated fans flying from all over the world to see this incredible event live.

Known for his stagecraft and as an ambassador for classical music, André Rieu is affectionately known as the ‘King Of Waltz’ to his international audiences, having sold in excess of 20 million CDs & DVD’s worldwide. He has been dominating charts around the globe for years.

CinemaLive presents André Reiu LIVE on Sunday July 18 at 6.00pm in New Zealand.
Tickets are on sale from May 2010 for NZ $40.00 at the local box office of your local participating cinema.
For further information and participating cinemas please visit www.cinemalive.com.

---
Current Participating NZ Cinemas:
Reading Cinemas The Palms, Christchurch
Reading Cinemas Courtenay, Wellington.

I'll let you know what other cinemas will be participating as soon as I know! ;-)

UPDATED: Listen to the interview with André on Sunday
May 19 - 2010
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If you missed the hour of talkback about André on the Real Life show on Newstalk ZB, or maybe you just want to listen to it again, I've uploaded the whole show to a file sharing website.

I've also quickly written the times of events within the show, in case you didn't want to listen to everything, which is included below in this post.

So click here to go to the website and start listening from the beginning now. - You'll notice that if you want to adjust the time slider, it's a bit fidgety, sorry about that! - That's because I'm using a free service.

Or alternatively, if you'd like to have the original .mp3 recording on your computer, you can download it here (link is not up yet, check back in a few hours). This way you can jump to different time points more easily, using your computers music player.

0:00 Weather
2:15 Initial opening of show
6:37 First Ad Break
8:07 Programme resumes
9:20 Interview with André begins
18:49 Second Ad Break
20:19 Programme resumes with second half of the interview
28:03 Interview finishes (introduces me! :P)
29:43 Third Ad Break
31:48 Programme resumes
32:35 I’m on!
35:10 I’m off! Other callers call in.
48:43 Fourth Ad Break
50:12 Programme resumes
54:58 Programme finishes – Advertising begins.

UPDATED 8:55PM 19/05/10: Link to download the .mp3 file is now included.

And once again, thanks to Carol from Ashburton, for letting me know of the interview!

ATTENTION: André on Newstalk ZB Radio this Sunday!
May 14 - 2010
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This is an exciting piece of news, so read on! - The following information is from the post on the NZ fan Facebook page:

So be sure to tune your radios to Newstalk ZB this Sunday evening. To see the list of radio frequencies, click here. Also, I've been advised that they will be giving away prizes including CDs & DVDs, for callers... so have your phone handy!

So if you've a story to share; this will be a great opportunity! Have you met André before? Has André revived classical music in your life? E-mail Josh and let him know you'd like to share, josh@cba.org.nz, or ring up during the hour on Sunday (0800 80 10 80). For more information about the radio show, check out their website here: www.reallife.net.nz. - You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out who each week's famous guest speaker will be.

Thanks to Carolyn for letting me know about this! And to Phil & Josh from Real Life.

Win big package with Weekend Gardener and Ascot Tours!
May 13 - 2010
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Those of you who read the Weekend Gardener magazine may already be familiar with this fantastic competetion already. But for those who aren't, read on...

The blurb reads:

And, the most important piece of information!...

Here is a picture of the competition page as seen in the magazine... Click it to view the larger PDF version.

Thanks to Barbara Smith from the Weekend Gardener for providing me with the information.
Be sure to let us know should you win! Ok, get writing and Good luck! ;-)

André wins German award
May 8 - 2010
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On the 6th of May, André was decorated in Aachen (Germany) with a very special distinction: the "Médaille Charlemagne pour les Médias Européens". He was awarded this medal because he brings so many people together with his music.

The mayor of Aachen, Mr. Marcel Philipp praised André by saying he "connects tradition and innovation, but above all he provides millions of people all around the world access to the European music tradition."

The laudatio was spoken by André's close friend, his Excellency Minister Camille Eurlings.

Click to Enlarge

Classical: Bridging the Classical Divide
May 7 - 2010
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The following article found on the California Chronicle may be of interest to some. :-)
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The first quarter of 2010 saw a 43% year-on-year rise in sales of classical music, demonstrating the public's appetite is stronger than ever. Classical's challenge now is to harness that enthusiasm and push sales harder, whether by focusing on downloads, TV reality shows or specialist awards ceremonies

By Andrew Stewart

THE STATE OF THE NATION'S PUBLIC FINANCES and future spending cuts could yet stifle the diversity of an arts sector that has punched far above its weight in recent years.

For now, the classical music industry is looking to protect its interests by boosting income from sales of tickets and recorded product. Healthy box-office receipts and advance bookings for live performances suggest that the UK's classical music organisations, in company with theatres, galleries and museums, have been able to buck the recession by programming bold events.

Classical recording companies face the challenge of attracting new consumers and encouraging existing ones to explore key releases and catalogue titles. Their cause should be helped by media and consumer interest in two Q2 awards shows; one devoted to core classical titles, the other addressed to the interests of the mass market.

The fifth BBC Music Magazine Awards, presented at Kings Place in central London on April 13, offered a celebration of excellence in new classical recordings and highlighted the quality of repertoire at both major and independent labels. Meanwhile, classical music's evolving mass-market reach stands proud in the list of nominations and performers announced for this year's Classical Brit Awards.

The Classical Brits nominees include a substantial offering of core artists such as Thomas Ades, Marin Alsop, Angela Gheorghiu, Jack Liebeck, Anna Netrebko, Antonio Pappano, Vasily Petrenko and Bryn Terfel. The 10 titles shortlisted for album of the year represent a solid line-up of classical crossover artists, including the Band of the Coldstream Guards, Blake, The Priests, Rhydian Roberts, Faryl Smith and Gary Barlow protege Camilla Kerslake. Although Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Andre Rieu, Terfel and Rolando Villazon are all set to appear at the Royal Albert Hall on May 13, Rhydian, Camilla Kerslake, Blake and Hayley Westenra will guarantee that the show projects a strong crossover flavour.

Classical Brit Awards committee co-chairman and Decca Records general manager Mark Wilkinson stresses the need for record companies and retailers to maximise marketing opportunities arising from award-show success. 'I think there's a lot for the classical industry to shout about at the moment,' he says. Wilkinson points to a 43% year-on-year rise in Q1 classical sales, adding that more than 2,500 classical albums were released by around 90 record labels in the UK last year, reflecting a diverse and competitive market space.

This year's BBC Music Magazine Awards and the Classical Brits bear witness to the breadth of classical repertoire offered by seasoned performers and young artists alike. The former awards honoured veteran pianist Murray Perahia in company with established conductors Antonio Pappano and Semyon Bychkov, whose account of Wagner's Lohengrin was named as record of the year. A crop of young artists to win at the event included Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Dutch mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn and the UK- based Elias String Quartet.

"Artists and record companies will only see immediate benefits from an industry award if all parties involved in selling and marketing work together," notes Wilkinson. "You cannot expect the announcement of an award on television or in a magazine to set the tills ringing." He cites the presence of Andre Rieu among the artists to perform at this year's Classical Brits.

At the time of their last show in May 2009, the 60-year-old Dutch violinist and his Johann Strauss Orchestra were a minor concern in the UK when compared to the mass audiences they command in central Europe and Australia. But his UK status changed last December when Rieu's appearance the Royal Variety Show kick-started sales of his Forever Vienna album.

"He has been the definition of the word phenomenon in the classical business this year, coming from nowhere to dominate the pop chart, the classical chart and the specialist classical chart," says Wilkinson. "The Royal Variety Show set the agenda when he reached its peak viewership - that awoke media and consumer interest. We've been pushing the boundaries with him ever since and will carry that momentum forward with his appearance at the Classical Brits."

At EMI Classics, company president Eric Dingman is looking to add a long tail to award-winning albums. The Classical Brits, he says, offers strong foundations on which to build interest in core EMI classical artists. His label hosts Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's appearance at the show as performer and recipient of the 2010 Classical Brit lifetime achievement in music award. "It's a very special opportunity for us to be part of a grand recognition of her accomplishments, which is why our chairman and just about every senior executive are showing up for this great occasion," he says.

Dingman says EMI Classics is targeting retail and media campaigns aimed at boosting sales of composer of the year nominee Thomas Ades, female artist of the year shortlister Angela Gheorghiu and Antonio Pappano, nominated for Classical Brits in the male artist and the critic's award categories. Pappano could scoop a rare double if his recording of Verdi's Requiem bags the critics' prize, complementing the acclaimed album's BBC Music Magazine Award for best choral album.

"Clearly the Classical Brits reaches a broad audience,' says Dingman. "It's pleasing to see some recognition here for the work we've done to support Tom Ades. Tony Pappano's nominations for Madame Butterfly and the Verdi Requiem, following his BBC Music Magazine success and forthcoming BBC Four Opera Italia series, underline the fact that this is a big year for him. Angela is also excited to be nominated for Butterfly. What we're aiming to do is create broader exposure for these artists beyond the core classical audience. We want to create momentum and grow the audience for their recordings."

Growing the classical market is clearly on the mind of Decca managing director Dickon Stainer. 'We've had our strongest three months in the classical market ever in Q1 this year. It is the first time our market share has reached 70% and the market is up across the board." The pop chart success of Andre Rieu's Forever Vienna album, he admits, has clearly driven classical sales in the quarter, adding the violinist's meteoric rise in the UK underlines the potential of core classical repertoire with the mass market.

"If you had said six months ago that a Dutchman in a waistcoat playing the Blue Danube Waltz was going to be the biggest breaking act of 2010, people would have thought you were crazy," he says. "But that's exactly what happened. It shows you can't underestimate the appetite for the new and different. Yes, Andre Rieu polarises tastes - but he does play core classical music. He's the fastest- breaking act in the UK this year in any genre, the first breaking act to go platinum in 2010."

Stainer argues that ITV1's Popstar to Operastar and BBC Four's Sacred Music series, presented by Simon Russell Beale and featuring The Sixteen, have opened doors to new classical consumers. BBC Four's forthcoming Opera Italia series, presented by Antonio Pappano, belongs to the Decca head's list of classical music entry points. "These programmes can open up conduits for people to discover interesting and diverse streams of repertoire," he says. "'That's what we all need to do as record companies and promoters of classical music."

Awards shows and high-profile television programmes, notes Stainer, are essential components in the present marketing mix for classical music. But he adds that it is now imperative for labels to capitalise on media interest in the genre by growing the online market for classical product. Although he welcomes the near-50% rise in classical downloads over the past year, Stainer is adamant that there is much more to be done to extend the genre's online reach.

"We need to promote digital more actively. The rate of growth in digital consumption in the mainstream pop and rock music business is way outstripping that in classical. Some of that has to do with demographics, but I believe the classical industry has the responsibility to communicate and educate about digital consumption. We're falling way short of the model of the mainstream music business at a time when retail space is shrinking. You would expect digital consumption of niche classical genres to be growing at a greater rate than for mainstream chart titles available in supermarkets. The question of how to grow that market has to top the classical music industry's agenda."

Stainer suggests that leading digital suppliers should be encouraged to expand the supply of classical single-track downloads. "It puzzles me why the classical page is the only page on iTunes not to offer single tracks as well as albums," he comments. "It's an anomaly. We know from our own evidence that people like to download single classical tracks, so we have to make that as easy for them as possible."

The rise of core artists with the ability to engage young audiences and cross demographic divides offers the most likely stimulus to classical download sales. The recent signing of classical pianist James Rhodes to Warner Brothers represents both a bold A&R move and an important stage in the development of mainstream classics for the mass market. Although Rhodes says it is too early to announce his Warner Bros debut repertoire in full, works by Alkan and Balakirev could well occupy a share of session time when he comes to record later this summer.

"I'm so pleased that the Warners deal is with the Madonna, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, big motherfucking rock label, not on Warner Classics," he comments. "I made damn sure in the contract that they didn't have control of repertoire. Down the line they can't say, 'Now we've got you, we want the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Debussy's Claire de lune...' I'd love to do the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata, but only together with the other two movements, because they're amazing."

Rhodes' summer concert schedule includes dates at E4 Udderbelly and the Cheltenham Festival, as well as becoming the first classical pianist to perform at the Latitude Festival this July.

"What other option is there but to reach out to that audience?" he asks. It's more than a rhetorical question for the whole classical record business.

(c) 2010 Music Week. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.

André Rieu in South Africa
April 26 - 2010
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"In this first episode we will see Kimi Skota, a South African soprano who will join André and the JSO in SA. Furthermore his first promotional tour to South Afrit is he doing with the most sexy girl of SA on top of the Table Mountain in Cape town?

Bela is in love with a Hungarian woman, André desperately tries to find out who it is. A dress in the color of dead salmon embarrasses Nelly Custers, the lady who designs and makes all the dresses for the ladies..."

Check out the first episode of André in South Africa here. Thanks to Ruud & Ineke uploading them!

You Raise Me Up & Forever Vienna Competition
April 26 - 2010
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The message below is from André Rieu, on behalf of Universal Music NZ.
---
Greetings My Kiwi Friends,

I hope you've all been keeping well and are all prepared for the approaching winter months. As you know, I'm coming back to your beautiful country later this year and will also be doing my first ever Christchurch concert which I'm very excited about. I also wanted to let you know about my latest releases which are out today and available from The Warehouse throughout New Zealand...

You Raise Me Up CD Release (Out Now)
	Imagine my friends, roses, autumn leaves, a carnival in Venice, a night of stars..these are the ingredients of my latest album You Raise Me Up. It's a bouquet of simply gorgeous, lush melodies, many of which I recoded for the first time. This new album includes the No.1 song of this century 'You Raise Me Up', along with 'The Rose' from the 1979 film, starring Bette Middler, followed by a tribute to nature in the form of a waltz, Johann Strausss 'Roses from the South', a timeless chanson 'Autumn Leaves', and a tribute to the night sky 'There is a song in me' via Chopin.
Let me take you on a journey to the worlds of waltzes, operettas and musicals as I bring you those timeless melodies from Kalmans 'The Gypsy Princess' (a great Mantovani hit), the gorgeous song 'Love Live Forever', the Disney musical hit 'Mary Poppins', to the incredibly moving 'Send in the Clowns' from Sondheims 'A Little Night Music'. Not forgetting the Song of Songs 'I Dreamed a Dream' that climbed to the top of the charts worldwide last year. You Raise Me Up features soprano soloists Australian-born Mirusia Louwerse and Brazilian-born Carmen Monarcha, who make the recording debut as duetists for 'Send in the Clowns'. And of course, the delightful Platin Tenors who sing the 'Chianti Song' and the mum song of songs, 'Mamma'. I'm very excited about this release, it's also just in time for Mothers Day and I think would make the perfect gift.

Forever Vienna CD / DVD Release (Out Now)

Forever Vienna is a collection of Viennese Waltz music. The CD is packed full of well known classics such as 'The Blue Danube', 'Vienna Blood' and 'Radetzky March'. This new release also comes with a bonus DVD of me 'Live at The Royal Albert Hall' and captures my complete concert spectacularly! I think my new release 'Forever Vienna' would be perfect for any of your friends who have yet to hear my music, it's a fantastic introductory package of my work.

With love,
Andre x

The King Of Waltz Delivers For Mother's Day
April 22 - 2010
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The following article is from Voxy.co.nz. Thanks Jann for the heads up! Also, not only is You Raise Me Up & Forever Vienna being released on April 26th, but a 'new' DVD is also being released in New Zealand; The Fairy Tale. Check out more info on it here. And finally, you'll find that André DVDs at The Warehouse have dropped to generally $14.99, so that's good!
---
"André Rieu is returning to New Zealand later this year for another show in Auckland and his first ever Christchurch concert! Along with this exciting news comes a brand new release from André, just in time for Mother's Day. Comprising a bouquet of simply gorgeous, lush melodies, many of them recorded for the first time by André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, You Raise Me Up will be in stores this coming Monday 26th April.

If you've been looking for just the right gift to say "thanks Mum, I love you", then look no further because You Raise Me Up offers a Mother's Day solution that you know she'll love. Plus, if you're feeling extra generous, you could also shout Mum tickets to one of his New Zealand concerts in October!

Imagine this: Out of complete silence emerges the sound of a solo violin and the album opens with the true No.1 song of this century - the most covered song in the last ten years - 'You Raise Me Up'.

We then accompany Andre on a journey to the world of flowers with the title track from the 1979 film 'The Rose', starring Bette Middler, followed by a tribute to nature in the form of a waltz (Johann Strauss's 'Roses from the South') from the undisputed King of the Waltz, Andre Rieu, a timeless chanson ('Autumn Leaves'), and a tribute to the night sky ('There is a song in me') via Chopin.

It's but a short journey from the world of waltzes to the world of operetta and Andre's new CD brings us those timeless melodies from Kalman's 'The Gypsy Princess' (a great Mantovani hit) and the gorgeous song 'Love Live Forever'. From there we take another short ride to the world of musicals, for two numbers from the Disney musical of the moment - 'Mary Poppins', and the incredibly moving 'Send in the Clowns' from Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Not forgetting the song of songs that climbed to the top of the charts worldwide last year: 'I dreamed a dream'.

The album features soprano soloists Australian-born Mirusia Louwerse and Brazilian-born Carmen Monarcha, who make the recording debut as duetists for 'Send in the clown's. And of course, the delightful Platin Tenors who sing the 'Chianti Song' and the 'mum' song of songs, 'Mamma'.

As with every André Rieu CD, You Raise Me Up is packed with beautiful, memorable melodies in lavish arrangements, all with the stamp of Maestro Rieu that make this the perfect album for Mother's Day - and, in fact, well beyond."

The album You Raise Me Up is available from April 26th.

Forever Vienna is forever finally here!
April 19 - 2010
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'Forever Vienna' (+ Bonus Live in Royal Albert Hall DVD) is one of André's latest CDs, behind his very latest 'You Raise Me Up' CD. You may remember back in early February this year, André was all over the news because he made it to Number two in the UK Pop charts. This was very exciting for all André fans everywhere, as it is a huge achievement for a classical album to get into the pop charts. However, even with all this going on, New Zealand was (as usual) left out of the loop, until now.

Forever Vienna - it's here!	You Raise Me Up

Forever Vienna is due to be released in New Zealand along with André's very latest album, You Raise Me Up, on Monday the 26th of April (next week). So get your CD players warmed up, and your speakers turned up!

CDs do not have their own individual pages on the site, so see additional information about them below.

Thanks to Geoff from Marbecks for advising me of the release details of the CDs. Prices can be viewed on the CD/DVD page. Both CDs however are currently available for preorder from the Marbecks website;
Click here for Forever Vienna
Click here for You Raise Me Up

Meet & Greet at Copthorne, Auckland
April 12 - 2010
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Some of you might have already seen in the guestbook a message that Murray posted detailing of a possible Meet & Greet at the Copthorne Hotel on Anzac Ave, quite close to Vector Arena (400m). This is a great way for all the fans from the website to meet each other, and have a gab before the concert.

Murray and myself have discussed a few things, and we're now at the point to find out who's interested, so we can let the hotel know an approximate number. So if you're interested in attending, please click here to go to the brand new 'Meet & Greet' page, which is also accessible from the menu bar at the top of the site (you may need to clear your browser's cookies first). Just fill in the form, click submit, and you're done!

Thanks for all your help in organizing this Murray!

Now it's strictly come waltzing! Meet the man who's thrown the pop charts into a Viennese whirl
March 5 - 2010
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Andre Rieu doesn't have the air of a man on a mission. Relaxing over lunch in his Zurich hotel, the violinist and conductor is engaging company.

And, while his wavy, shoulder-length hair would suggest the talented Dutchman might be a bit of a showman on the sly, he blends in unobtrusively with his surroundings.

It is only later, when he plays a Swiss ice-hockey arena with his Johann Strauss Orchestra, laughing and joking through a two-hour show, that it becomes apparent that Rieu, 60, is a classical musician with a difference.

In injecting wit, irreverence and spontaneity into a genre often associated with stuffiness, he has become an international phenomenon, single-handedly spearheading a revival of 19th-century waltz music.

'The waltz encapsulates all emotions in life, and that's why people love it,' he tells me. 'I was attracted by the sheer joy in the music of Johann Strauss. It is very uplifting, and that's what I try to capture onstage.

'I don't think you can conduct a Strauss waltz with a baton. You should just play it and try to get people on their feet. It's so dull when you go to a classical concert and everyone just sits there. That wasn't how Strauss wanted his music to be heard.'

Rieu is doing something right. He has sold 30 million albums and is one of the world's most successful touring acts, playing to packed houses.
 

In the past six weeks, he has also secured the British breakthrough that had previously eluded him: his current release, Forever Vienna, last month leapt to No 2 in the charts and is still selling strongly.

It became the UK's highest-charting orchestral album ever, its impact likened to that made two decades ago by Nigel Kennedy with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.

Rieu believes there are a number of reasons for his success: the popularity of shows such as Strictly Come Dancing has helped, while his rousing tunes are seen as an antidote to the worst recession since the Thirties and the bleakest winter in 30 years.

'My record label, Decca, didn't think I'd ever be a hit in the UK,' he says. 'They thought I'd only make it in Europe. But then Forever Vienna became a hit in Australia, and that made them reconsider.'

In December, Rieu also attracted the admiration of the Queen, who complimented him on his 'beautiful melodies' when he stole the show from Lady Gaga and Mika at the Royal Variety Performance.

In front of an audience, Andre and his 50-piece orchestra truly bring the music to life.
 

The live shows are not only witty - he puts his musicians through their paces with demonic grins and archly-raised eyebrows - they are also audiovisual extravaganzas, with a brilliant light show, floral displays, lavishly decorated stage sets and slapstick comedy routines.
 

His openair events take things even further, and have featured horses, ice rinks and a fairytale castle. It is an approach to classical music that makes even The Last Night Of The Proms seem staid.

Rieu explains: 'In classical music, humour is usually frowned upon. I don't know why. I couldn't live without humour. I'm the leader of 50 idiots who travel around the world playing waltzes, and we solve all our problems with humour.'

'If somebody drives 100 miles to see a concert, you can at least dress up and decorate the stage with a few flowers.'

He denies charges that he is dumbing down classical music or trivialising the work of greats. 'I take the music very seriously - but I add a touch of lightness,' he says.
 

'The critics and purists kill me, but I play music that touches my heart. Some people use classical music to appear superior; I don't have time for snobbery.'

Rieu began playing the violin at five in his hometown of Maastricht, where his father led the local symphony orchestra.

After studying at an academy in Brussels, he formed the Maastricht Salon Orchestra, which became the Johann Strauss Orchestra in the Eighties.

'My father used to play waltzes as an encore,' he says. 'I noticed that people suddenly got up and started moving and humming along. That taught me you could make music a different way.'

With the help of his wife Marjorie (they have been married for 35 years and have two grown-up sons, plus three grandchildren), Rieu turned his live show into a spectacular.

He is now looking to consolidate his success in the UK. A major arena tour is being put together. He is also playing the Classical Brit Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on May 13. More audacious plans are in the pipeline. 'I'd love to do something with Bruce Springsteen,' he says. 'We could create something that nobody would expect.

'And, one day, I'd like to play on the moon.' When I laugh, he says: 'I mean it! I've never met Richard Branson, but if he could build a hall up there, I'd get people waltzing on the moon.'

NZ André Fans Friendship Groups...
Feburary 27 - 2010
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I haven't posted a blog entry for, it seems, a forever long time. With André hitting #2 in the UK Charts just over two and a half weeks ago, it has been an exciting time. Especially as we waited to see if André would make #1, but I guess André's just spreading it all out, #2 this time around, #1 next time. ;-)

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to get Classical Brit honour
Feburary 11 - 2010
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This article is more rather focused on our Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. André is however mentioned nearer the end of the article. Thanks to Kathy & Dee for the heads up for this article. Article from the BBC.
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Opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is to be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the Classical Brits, it has been announced.

The New Zealand-born soprano joins a list of past recipients which includes Plácido Domingo and Jose Carreras, and will perform live on the night.

Dame Kira said she was "honoured and delighted" to be given the award.

The 11th annual Classical Brits will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on 13 May.

Mark Wilkinson from the Classical Brit Awards committee said, "It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest sopranos of our times who has befriended British audiences and helped to nurture new singing talent for so many years".

Dame Kiri added, "I am very honoured and delighted to receive this award and look forward to being at the Royal Albert Hall this May."

Global audience

The singer was born into a Maori background in 1944 and adopted by a couple in the Gisborne region of New Zealand, who called her Kiri, the Maori word for Bell.

In 1966, she was given a government grant to enable her to train at the London Opera Centre, and five years later she landed her first major role as the Countess in a production of Mozart's The Marriage Of Figaro at Covent Garden.

She is probably best-known for singing Handel's Let The Bright Seraphim at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981 - a performance watched by an estimated worldwide audience of 600 million.

She was made a dame in 1982, and reached a global audience again in the 1990s at the debut of Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio.

Earlier this year, Dame Kiri launched a nationwide search for an opera star of the future.

The winner of the BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize will get the chance to perform with her at Radio 2's Proms In The Park in September.

Klass act

Full nominations for the Classical Brits will be announced on 12 April.

The awards, which will be broadcast on ITV1, are to be presented by Myleene Klass.

Dutch violinist André Rieu will also perform at the live show.

His album, Forever Vienna, has made just made history as the highest charting classical album of the century, after rising to number two on Sunday.

How André Waltzed His Way to Stardom
Feburary 11 - 2010
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An interesting read! From http://www.thenational.ae/
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Strange things have been happening in the British pop charts of late (and no, we’re not talking about Jedward’s failure to clinch number one). Wade through the usual Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine and Paolo Nutini albums, and there in the No2 spot is Andre Rieu and his album Forever Vienna.

The cover alone stands out: a couple dance dreamily around a ballroom. The man, dressed in a traditional tailcoat, holds his partner in an elaborate swoon. She, wearing a swishy ball gown, has her neck bent in the direction of the window. They are waltzing – to the tune of the Dutch violinist Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.

Forever Vienna, a compilation of traditional waltzes, has beaten Hot Chip, Corinne Bailey Rae, Journey and Peter Andre, all of whom have had new albums out this week. Not only is it the highest-charting orchestral album in history, but it is also the first time a CD of 19th-century music has appeared in the charts. So what on earth is going on?

The waltz revival has been gathering pace ever since Rieu, a conductor’s son from Maastricht, started blowing the cobwebs off the form with his elaborate 50-piece orchestra. Formed in 1987 with only 12 members, the Johann Strauss Orchestra soon earned a reputation for its lively, emotive performances, with Rieu being named “the king of the waltz”.

Not for him drab musicians all in black. Instead his dapper players perform in full tailcoats and bright, slightly daring ball gowns. As their popularity grew, so did their stage sets. During their recent world tour, a life-size reproduction of the Viennese Imperial Schönbrunn Palace dominated the stage, complete with two ice rinks, two fountains and a huge ballroom dance floor. But the pièce de résistance is Rieu himself, who leads the dances from the front using his 1667 Stradivarius violin, reportedly worth €2.3m (Dh11.6m).

“Waltzes were not meant to be conducted,” he said recently in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. “I lead with my bow, my head, my whole body, just as Johann Strauss did.” The UK is, it seems, not the only country to have fallen under his spell. In Billboard magazine’s list of the top 25 tours last summer, Rieu was in fourth place, ahead of Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen and Celine Dion. Only Madonna, Britney Spears and Tina Turner lay ahead of him.

Having originated in Vienna in the mid-18th century, the waltz, which is traditionally performed in 3/4 time, quickly spread across Europe. It was, though, not without its detractors, many of whom saw the dancers’ proximity as “indecent”. The death knell sounded when the style began to shift from the ballroom to the music hall. And it was not until Rieu started bringing it to the masses once more, that the waltz experienced renewed popularity.

“My father was a conductor, and I grew up listening to his concerts,” Rieu told The Daily Telegraph, “and I noticed that, when he played waltzes as encores, the audience seemed different. They smiled, they started to move in their seats. This music still had a magic power to move people. That made a big impression on me.”

The recent album sales have, said Rieu’s spokesman, partly been due to the proliferation of dance shows like Strictly Come Dancing and So You Think You Can Dance? “The waltz has been an important part of many of these shows and it really seems to have captured the public’s imagination,” he said. One suspects that Rieu’s silver-fox appeal also has something to do with it.

And so what of the album? It has most of the greats, from The Blue Danube and the Boléro to the Radeztky March. They are exuberant and full of colour and it is easy to see why the waltz is going strong 250 years on. Rieu is obviously there, but not to the extent that you would suspect from classical music’s poster boy.

Having trained at the Conservatoire Royal in Liège and in the Conservatorium Maastricht, he is a gifted player. And he has a few words for those who dismiss his style as populist. “I give myself what I want,” he said recently to The Times, “not what people want. I play that music in a way I want to play. I don’t change the music: I play it as it should be played. And I take my job seriously.”

André #2 in the charts!!
Feburary 8 - 2010
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A classical violinist trounced established pop acts yesterday when his album of Strauss waltzes climbed to number two in the charts.

André Rieu beat pop stars including Paolo Nutini, Florence and the Machine and Lady Gaga with his album Forever Vienna.

The Dutchman put his surprising surge in popularity down to the success of prime-time TV dance shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing On Ice.

The record is not only the highest-charting orchestral album ever, but also the first time a CD of 19th century music has appeared in the pop charts.

Forever Vienna has steadily beaten off competition from Susan Boyle, Cheryl Cole and Michael Buble in the six weeks since it was released.

The album completely sold out in its first week of release and sales have since snowballed, with the album going gold - reaching 400,000 sales - in just three weeks and taking the No.1 spot in all of the major supermarket sales charts.

Since the UK Album Charts began in 1958, only once – when violinist Nigel Kennedy reached No.3 over 20 years ago – has classical instrumental music made such an impact.

Kennedy brought Vivaldi into thousands homes with his landmark Four Seasons recording, which peaked at No.3.

The UK is the latest in a string of countries to be swept off their feet by the violinist and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. He is already a huge international star with his tours, outselling music heavyweights Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and AC/DC.

Rieu's spokesman told the Mail: ' André's popularity has a lot to do with the proliferation of prime-time dancing shows like Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance?, Got To Dance and Dancing On Ice.

'The waltz has been an important part of many of those shows and really seems to have captured the public's imagination.

'He also appears to have a wide age-group of admirers. He's 60 but he does have sex appeal. He also seems to have knocked the stuffiness out of classical music.

'At his live concert, people actually get up and dance like they did when Strauss used to be performed the first time around in Vienna.'

Rieu said: ‘The waltz encapsulates all emotions in life, and this is why people love it. This UK 'pop' chart position is proof of that, so of course I am thrilled'.

Gennaro Castaldo, of HMV, said: 'Never before has this music made it into the pop charts. Rieu is adored all over the world and with this album he has shown music fans in the UK why.
 

'He certainly has a talent for bringing traditional waltz music to life, to be enjoyed in the way it was in its heyday.

'The success of classical music crossing over into the pop mainstream has been evident some years now, but for André Rieu, who was relatively unknown in the UK until recently, to be in the top 2 and outselling the likes of Lady Gaga and Florence and the Machine suggests that something a little deeper is happening.

'Clearly, many fans have taken to Rieu's engaging personality and infectious brand of music, but it also seems likely the public's fascination with all things dance right now, and with the likes of Strictly and Dancing on Ice in particular, is also helping to boost sales.'