INTERVIEW WITH ANDRE RIEU

June 5, 2009

Speaking of ANDRE RIEU, first this is what every one knows:

“First of all, I am a man. My dad was a conductor. I started to play the violin when I was five because I fell in love with my teacher.”

“I am contented with my life.”

But there are things we don’t know, for example he can imitate the famous: ‘hein’ (French)

We are in Maastricht now, our goal is to meet – before the business man or the virtuoso – Andre Rieu, the man and listen to his confessions.

‘How can you keep so much in shape?’

“I sleep a lot that is how I can keep fit.”

“I love silence. I love beautiful women. Why? What did you think?”

‘And in your baggage … don’t you ever leave a …?’

“A pair of panties? No! Ha! Ha!”

‘Do you own a pair of bumpers?’

“Yes, it’s the bumpers I keep in my baggage!”

“This year … I haven’t done any exercise. So it shows!”

“But when I am on the stage and for three hours, that I call exercise!”

‘Is it your heart that you put into your music or the other way round?’

“And, how do you plan your program, Mr. Rieu? They ask me. And I always say: with my heart.”

“Oh, that ‘morsel’ touched me! It made me cry! So, I will include it in my program. When I feel that ‘bit’ touched me I know it will touch you too.”

“That’s how I do my program. Just create the atmosphere then, boom! It becomes a feast. Like in sex: we don’t start with the ‘explosion’ right at the beginning, there’s a little playing before. Why did you blush?”

‘It’s important to eat well on you tours, isn’t it?’

“Yes, but I have always three cooks with me, they are there on every tour. When I didn’t have them it was like: Oh, Andre Rieu will be here! Wiener Schnitzel! And on the next day, it was the same!”

“No, everything has to be done my style.”

‘Is there any country where you wouldn’t want to tour or play?’

“China.”

“They keep inviting me. But there is no freedom in China everything is overly organized by the government. No.”

Andre Rieu spends some time in his castle near Maastricht and interestingly enough, his life is even more thrilling than on his tours.

‘What other profession do you like?’

“Architecture. Only I know nothing about electricity. But when the men who work for me say: No, Mr. Rieu, this cannot be done, it’s impossible, I say: but of course it’s possible!”

‘Can you sing?’

“Oh, no, I can’t.”

‘Can you dance?’

‘What do you consider as being real luxury?’

“This is luxury for me (conservatory) I relax when I am here.”

“We always have our breakfast here with Marjorie. We get up, early in the morning just for this and to be together.”

“For me luxury is my freedom. I am doing what I want to do.”

‘Are you a great TV fan?’

“Well, in the evenings while sipping red wine I am just doing this: (clicking his remote control). But nowadays on TV, you just can’t see anything nice. Only when I am on! Ha! Ha! Oh, no! Only joking!’

“I watch tennis games a lot. Rolland Garosse.”

‘Andre Rieu, do you have a dream you still want to fulfill?’

“I’d like to play in Versailles, at the Eiffel Tower…”

“Or talk to Sarkozy! OK, we’ll do that! Thanks, Mr. Sarkozy!”

‘Who do you think are the greatest men in the world?’

“President Obama. I respect him a lot.”

“I am glad that he is there (The White House) giving us hope that something is going to change, something new is coming.”

“When I won the World Music Award three times everybody thought I was an important man, like Prince Albert.”

“I said I didn’t like Prince Albert, but he is natural, like me. But then you see many people trying to look important, but no, I’m not like that.”

‘If you were to sum up for the millions of fans who Andre Rieu is, what would that be?’

“I am always honest and everybody can see when you are real, you cannot lie.”

“As a matter of fact I am living my dream. This is my life. I am sixty and intend to be hundred and twenty, so I am like half way now. It’s OK, I will go on with my life like I have before.”