Like many aspiring classical violinists, André Rieu grew up idolizing such masters of the instrument as Russia's David Oistrakh and Israel's Yehudi Menuhin.
But unlike most other young violinists, Rieu got to directly interact with these legends. And that experience profoundly influenced the young Dutchman's decision to lead his own orchestra, and to focus on showmanship and a frothy repertoire designed to lure a mass audience with little interest in more substantial music.
“My father was a conductor, and Menuhin, Oistrakh and (cellist Mstislav) Rostropovich were all in my home and we all ate together,” said Rieu, who performs Thursday at the ipayOne Center with his 50-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra.
“But I also saw they were very lonely, traveling the world with their violins. And I said to myself: 'I don't want to be as lonely as that, or to study 10 hours a day and then be on stage for only 20 minutes and get bad reviews.'
“I'm classically educated and I know that, certainly in Europe, the classics is a very small, elite world. So I wanted to break out and bring humor into the classical world and be able to play classical music while having fun. And that was a completely new thing.”
His quest has succeeded beyond Rieu's wildest dreams.
He is a multimillion-selling recording artist and titular head of the very lucrative André Rieu Productions. His concerts fill arenas that more often host Mariah Carey or the Rolling Stones.
But while his steady rise over the past two decades has made him an entertainment magnate, it hasn't always been smooth sailing.
“It was difficult because the classical world said: 'My god. What is this? He's a traitor! He lets people into the classical world who don't belong there.' I think the most important thing is that I want to have contact with the public,” Rieu said last week from his home in the Dutch city of Maastricht.
“I would like to slowly show the public around the classical music world because I think classical music makes people better.”
Rieu's concerts focus on Strauss waltzes and other light classical fare. Might he one day incorporate more challenging works by contemporary classical composers like Boulez and Messiaen, as his conductor father – also named André Rieu – did before him?
“Who knows?” he replied. “I'm 56, and I feel like I'm at the beginning. My dream is to go on like this until I'm 120 years old. So I have some time ahead of me.”
– GEORGE VARGA
