"There aren't many people who can make classical music cool, so when someone is able to put a somewhat modern spin on the style and persuade younger crowds to buy CDs and tickets to shows, they are clearly bringing something special to the table. "Andre Rieu is one of the biggest superstars in a genre not necessarily known for producing larger-than-life characters. In his decades-long career, he has sold tens of millions of albums, played in dozens of countries and he's been able to make a business work that few could have imagined: a privately owned and privately funded orchestra," the Forbes reports. "Rieu pays all of the musicians in his collective and his massive team based solely on the money they bring in from various revenue streams, and the fact that they have been able to keep going after all these years is a truly incredible accomplishment." "A native of Maastricht, Netherlands and born into a musical family, superstar André Rieu is the world’s most successful violinist and best-selling classical musician of all times. His father was conductor of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra and André started playing the violin at the age of 5," the Breeze reports. In 1978 André founded his first own ensemble, the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. In 1987 it became the Johann Strauss Orchestra, which is currently the biggest private orchestra in the world. André Rieu has made classical music accessible to millions around the world and has turned the waltz into an international sensation and has had soccer crowds swaying to Shostakovitch. "His romantic and joyful programs include a mixture of light classics, waltzes, music from film and opera as well as pop songs. His concerts are also a visual treat, from the sight of Rieu and his musicians entering through the crowd and up on to the stage at the beginning of the concert, to the lavish costumes and the vast screen behind the orchestra displaying beautiful imagery tailor-made for each song. André Rieu performs for over half a million people each year. His YouTube videos have reached far over one billion views and over 8 million fans follow the “King of Waltz” on Facebook. André Rieu is not just for an evening." "Violin superstar André Rieu has made classical music accessible to millions around the world and has turned the waltz into an international sensation, recently extending his record as the highest grossing classical artist in Billboard’s Boxscore history. Further, he continues to be the classical act with the highest attendance regularly outselling the world’s top pop and rock stars.” "Rieu has had soccer crowds swaying to Shostakovich and "There aren't many people who can make classical music cool, so when someone is able to put a somewhat modern spin on the style and persuade younger crowds to buy CDs and tickets to shows, they are clearly bringing something special to the table. "Andre Rieu is one of the biggest superstars in a genre not necessarily known for producing larger-than-life characters. In his decades-long career, he has sold over 40 millions of albums, played in dozens of countries and he's been able to make a business work that few could have imagined: a privately owned and privately funded orchestra," the Forbes reports. "Rieu pays all of the musicians in his collective and his massive team based solely on the money they bring in from various revenue streams, and the fact that they have been able to keep going after all these years is a truly incredible accomplishment." "A native of Maastricht, Netherlands and born into a musical family, superstar André Rieu is the world’s most successful violinist and best-selling classical musician of all times. His father was conductor of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra and André started playing the violin at the age of 5," the Breeze 104.3 reports. In 1978 André founded his first own ensemble, the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. In 1987 it became the Johann Strauss Orchestra, which is currently the biggest private orchestra in the world. André Rieu has made classical music accessible to millions around the world and has turned the waltz into an international sensation and has had soccer crowds swaying to Shostakovitch. "His romantic and joyful programs include a mixture of light classics, waltzes, music from film and opera as well as pop songs. His concerts are also a visual treat, from the sight of Rieu and his musicians entering through the crowd and up on to the stage at the beginning of the concert, to the lavish costumes and the vast screen behind the orchestra displaying beautiful imagery tailor-made for each song. André Rieu performs for over half a million people each year. His YouTube videos have reached far over one billion views and over 8 million fans follow the “King of Waltz” on Facebook. André Rieu is not just for an evening." "Violin superstar André Rieu has made classical music accessible to millions around the world and has turned the waltz into an international sensation, recently extending his record as the highest grossing classical artist in Billboard’s Boxscore history. Further, he continues to be the classical act with the highest attendance regularly outselling the world’s top pop and rock stars.”

"His concerts are also a visual treat, from the sight of Rieu and his musicians entering through the crowd and up on to the stage at the start, to the lavish costumes and the vast screen behind the orchestra displaying beautiful imagery appropriate to each song. “ "Together with his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, André Rieu performs to over half a million people each year, establishing him as one of the top ten touring acts in the world. His YouTube videos have reached far over a billion views. 8 million fans follow the “King of Waltz” on Facebook and 700.000 on Instagram." Biggest stage set ever "His live shows are an extravaganza of crinolined ladies whose every costume he gives personal approval, fairy tale castles and ice rinks. In 2007 Rieu even build a full-size reproduction of Vienna’s imperial Schönbrunn Palace as a stage set for his “World Stadium Tour: A Romantic Vienna Night”. "At that time it was the biggest stage set ever to go on tour. With 125 meters wide, 30 meters deep and 35 meters high it only fitted in the largest stadiums. The set included 2 ice-skating rinks, 2 fountains, and a ballroom dance floor situated above and behind the Orchestra. Rieu’s largest concert attendance to date was 38,605 in 2008 in Melbourne’s Telstra Dome (now Marvel Stadium)," the official website says.