Photo by Andrea Ripamonti
André Rieuworld-renowned violinist and conductor, stops in Milan for the first time, yesterday 20 November at the Unipol Forum in Assago (Milan), with his new highly anticipated tour which will cross 4 continents starting from March 2024.
Rieu, of Dutch origin and among the most famous musicians in the world – the Washington Post said of him that “he has an Elvis-like charisma”, the New York Post that “he is a gigantic superstar” – has sold over 40 million records in his career album, his videos on YouTube have exceeded 3 billion views, he has 10 million fans on Facebook, 2 million followers on Instagram and 16 million links on Tik Tok. To date he has 500 Platinum Records and 270 Gold Records, 30 First Places in the charts of various countries around the world, 10 albums in the Top Ten of the UK Charts, countless Awards from 1995 onwards, including 3 Classic Brit Awards consecutive “Album of The Year” in 2011, 2012, 2013 and the SSE Best Live Award in 2018, but above all the absolute grossing record for a Classical artist in the history of Billboard.
During each of his performances the audience is drawn into a universe of enchanting melodies while André Rieu conducts the Johann Strauss Orchestra – the largest private orchestra in the world with its 60 elements – the choir and multiple soloists, in a repertoire that varies from classical masterpieces to famous waltzes, passing through popular hits, soundtracks and opera pieces. Among the songs that made his extraordinary live performances famous we mention The Lonely Shepherd from the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Ravel's Bolero, Shostakovich's Second Waltz – one of Rieu's best known, defined as the “King of Modern Waltz”. There is no shortage of very popular hits such as Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley or My Way by Frank Sinatra, but also Mambo N°5 by Lou Bega, without forgetting our Domenico Modugno with Nel blu diretta di blu. Among the masters who inspired him he cites Johann Strauss, “an entrepreneur and a gigantic artist at the same time, he had five orchestras at the same time and composed extraordinary music” and in fact The Blue Danube is never missing from André's live performances.
The extraordinary energy of his shows – real performances that release joy and romance – is a decisive element for André Rieu's audience. His concerts are unique immersive experiences: an explosion of lights, elaborate staging with impressive visuals and screens, sumptuous costumes, extraordinary involvement when the Maestro and the Orchestra reach the stage crossing the crowd to the tune of Gladiator, but above all the warm participation of an audience of the most diverse in age and origin, which finds common ground in celebrating Music in an atmosphere of pure magic.
Even the concerts of this new tour by André Rieu with the Johann Strauss Orchestra promised to live up to his fame and finally the public appreciated also in Italy, a musician with a style widely recognized throughout the world where he habitually fills the arenas and larger capacity sports hall. André says: “Emotions are the key factor! When a song reaches my heart, I know it will reach your heart too. I can't wait to start the tour and play for the first time in Milan, I have waited a long time for this moment and I know that the Italian public has also wanted it for a long time, I expect to see you all dancing and singing at the concert!”
Click here to see the photos of André Rieu in Milan (or browse the gallery below).
ANDRÉ RIEU: the Milan lineup
SEPT 1
Entry of the Gladiators
Blaze Away
Nobody sleeps
Granada
Ob Blond, ob Braun
Salome Sabeldance
Voila
Heal the World
Im Weissen Rössl / Die Czardasfürstin
SEP 2
Think of me
Ein Schiff wird kommen (Ta Dedia Tou Pirea)
Nitsch Jaka
Spain Dogs
Vilja Lied
An der schönen blauen Donau
Hallelujah (Handel)
BIS
Radetzky March
Strauss en Co
Let's free
All fruits
Can't help falling in love
Sirtaki – (Zorba's Dance)
I will survive
Live is life
Adieu mein kleiner Gardeoffizier
Marina
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
