Andre Rieu is a violinist, conductor and international classical music star,who has won the hearts of millions of music-lovers throughout the worldwith his extravagant concerts and sell-out tours. Born in the Netherlands in1949, Andre started taking violin lessons at the age of five, the beginningof a love affair that would never end. As a student he was asked to takepart in a salon ensemble and as he played his first waltz a whole new worldopened up for him.From that time on Andre was hooked on the waltz rhythm and dreamt ofcreating a large orchestra that would enchant its audience. After recruitinghis own 'Johann Strauss Orchestra', Andre began to tour. Crowned the"Waltz King", Andre's wish was to make classical music accessible foreveryone, and this has undoubtedly come true. The Johann StraussOrchestra has grown from strength to strength and now has up to 50players, and the orchestra's first CD, 'From Holland with Love' (1994)stayed in the Top 10 chart in the Netherlands for over a year.Written by his wife, Marjorie Rieu, My Music My Life explores the story ofAndre's youth; growing up in the Netherlands; the musical family he grewup in; his music studies; and his extraordinary success story as he went onto become a bestselling, international music star.

Author Biography

Andre Rieu and his five siblings were surrounded by classical musicthroughout their childhood in Maastricht, Holland. Their father, aprofessional conductor, encouraged Andre to take up violin lessons atthe age of five. Andre trained in classical music at conservatoires in Liege,Maastricht and Brussels, where he gained the Premier Prix. He founded hisfirst orchestra in 1978, the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. Nine years later, hedirected the first rehearsals of the Johann Strauss Orchestra, at that timejust twelve-strong.Aside from the dozens of album recordings, Andre and his orchestra arefamous for their huge live shows and massive touring schedule. Their worldtours have taken them across the globe, but every year Andre makes sureto play in his home town of Maastricht, where he now lives in a castle withhis wife, Marjorie. Andre received the Classic BRIT Award in 2012 for thealbum of the year with 'And The Waltz Goes On'. He continues to tour theworld, with an extensive set of tour dates for 2014 and 2015.