His concerts are sellouts and his CDs bestsellers. But violinist/conductor Andre Rieu, A Public Television darling, remains a superstar just under the radar.

Article Copyright (c) 2004: Joel Samberg
Photography Copyright (c) 2006 Al Girard
Page Adoption: Marlene Warren

On a recent spring evening in Trenton, quite a few love-struck Juliets could be found in the audience at the Sovereign Bank Arena. That the vast majority of them were married ladies made no difference at all. The romantic atmosphere was inspired by Andre Rieu and his 28-member Johann Strauss Orchestra.

Rieu is a Dutch conductor and violinist who has the kind of audience appeal more typically associated with romantic singers and matinee idols. Handsome, charismatic, witty and vastly talented as a triple-threat musician (he arranges, plays and conducts), Rieu, 55, consistently packs concert halls around the world with fans who are as interested in him as they are in his music.

While he may not have the name recognition in the U.S. that many pop musicians enjoy, Rieu nevertheless continues to be a sensation on the international music scene - and he shows no signs of peaking.

At the state of the Sovereign Bank Arena concert in May, which was part of an anniversary celebration marking his 10-year association with PBS and NJN (PBS's New Jersey affiliate), Rieu set the stage with a wave of his magic wand (which doubles as his violin bow). That was the cue for the scenery behind the orchestra to turn into the romantic backdrop for a Shakespearean love story. Then he beseeched the audience to make believe there were part of the scene, encouraged by the lush, symphonic music filling the arena.

It didn't take much beseeching. Which is why there were so many Juliets in Trenton that night.

To Andre Rieu, music is romance. For Rieu, it can help anyone find his or her place somewhere over the rainbow, even if it is just a temporary, rose-colored place of the imagination.

Over the last 10 years, US audiences have been swept into Rieu's brand of musical romance as easily as audiences in his native Holland or his beloved Vienna. He gleefully embraces musical elements that some classical devotees might consider blasphemous, such as spotlighting a few skilled singers within his orchestra, using special effects on stage and including songs like "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" as part of the program.

Indeed, the repertoire of a typical Andre Rieu concert may include pop hits, Broadway melodies and patriotic standards. At the Trenton concert, Strauss's "Voices of Spring" was as well received as "The Rose," and Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" as warmly welcomed as "America The Beautiful."

"I've come to appreciate the American audiences that there is less and less defining between so-called classical music and non-classical music," Rieu told New Jersey Savvy Living after the Trenton concert. "I had a lot of classical-music lovers come up to me at the meet and greet after the show who had no problem at all with our selections. This is something in this country that is very good."

The meet and greet was one of the privileges that some NJN supporters earned through their donations to the network. The were invited to a small gathering in a VIP room at the arena, where Rieu and several members of his orchestra spent time after the show chatting and graciously accepting accolades. PBS and NJN have televised many of Rieu's concerts over the last 10 years and the relationship has been mutually beneficial.

"His programs have been successful for NJN's fundraising efforts," says Freddie Chisolm, the network's director of membership. "Many viewers have become NJN members simply because they have seen his concerts on the air, and they realize that their contributions are pledges of support for more Rieu concerts."

Family influence and natural talent make equal claims on the musical life of Andre Rieu. His father was the conductor of both the Limburg Symphony Orchestra in Holland and the Leipzig Opera in Germany. His brothers and sisters are also accomplished instrumentalists. When as a young conservator student he was asked to play a waltz, he claims an entire new world of music opened up for him, thanks to what he calls the "Tremendously stirring rhythm" of the standard three-quarter waltz. "I immediately fell for the delightful music and decided that I wanted to play more of it."

After spending many years as a violinist with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Rieu founded his own ensembles, touring Europe for more than a decade. His first album, "From Holland With Love," was released in more than 26 countries and stayed on some top-seller lists for as long as a year.

For Rieu, music is about romance, yes, but it's also about joy. And that's evident from the moment he arrives on stage. He finds joy in his violin, in the stories behind each song, even in the individual members of his orchestra, whom he introduces and talks about as if they were part of his own family. (His son is currently studying trumpet, serves as production manager and hopes to join the orchestra one day.)

Rieu describes each composition in as much detail as is necessary to give the audience a true appreciation of the historical or emotional context in which tit was written or arranged. Then, depending on the selection, he might be seen running around the stage while playing the violin (reflecting the festive nature of the composition), or using his bow to help the brass, woodwinds, strings or percussion emphasize a particularly stirring crescendo.

Often he follows up his humorous asides with poignant soliloquies. In Trenton, when a couple near the front slid through the aisle to grab their seats moments after the concert began, Rieu stopped his dialogue to say to them, gently, "We came from Europe -- and we were on time!" Then, without missing a beat, he described the Vienna of the 19^th century -- the epicenter for his musical awakening, and clearly his favorite place on earth -- where Johann Strauss put romance and joy, into three-quarter time.

Strauss was known to have written his music for social celebrations as much as for concert hall engagements. He wanted people to enjoy themselves. "Strauss played violin and conducted his orchestra not only with his bow, but with his entire body," Rieu says.

"His whole body appeared to be dancing, inspiring not just his orchestra, but the entire audience was well." In a way, Johann Strauss has been reborn in Rieu's approach.

Rieu is not the only one who dances at his concerts. At every event, dozens of couples leave their seats and waltz in the aisles, encouraged by Rieu (if not exactly sanctioned by facility management in certain arenas).

When Rieu and his orchestra played "America the Beautiful," there was even greater joy in the air. He thanked the United States for leading the Allied forces in liberating his country on May 5, 1945 before leading his players through a moving rendition of the patriotic classic. (He claims to play patriotic songs not to win over an audience's loyalty, but because he finds the songs themselves so exquisite. "I have to love a song in order to play it," he says, "and I love 'America The Beautiful'. It truly is a beautiful song.")

"Every audience is new for us, and that's the exciting thing about touring all over the world", Rieu explains. "My brain is always working a thousand percent at every concert because I have to play the violin, conduct the orchestra, see what the audience is like, think about what I'm going to say, decide what's going right and do more of it, and see what may not be going right and do less of it."

The hard work pays off. His concerts are always sold out, his CDs and videos move quickly off the shelves, and the atmosphere at his meet-and-greets is nearly reverential. His discography now includes compilations of movie scores, Christmas standards, waltzes and love songs, and his tour schedule for the remainder of 2004 will take him through France and Switzerland. As if he's not busy enough from time to time he contemplates other actives, such as scoring a motion picture. Because of his good looks and multiple talents, some people have dubbed him a Dutch Mel Gibson. "But I'm pretty sure that Mel doesn't play the violin", Rieu says with a smile.

Nevertheless, breaking down every wall of resistance to a classical orchestra in the U.S. may forever be a challenge. Just having cellos, French horns and a zither on stage will turn some people away from an Andre Rieu concert, no matter what he plays or how many colored balloons fall form the ceiling. Perhaps that's why, despite sold-out concerts and CDs, he still lacks superstar name recognition here. Even many classical radio stations rarely if ever have Rieu and his orchestra on their play lists. (One station's spokesperson compared him to Yanni, the white-suited keyboard troubadour who, like Rieu, is enormously popular, a staple of PBS fundraising, yet seldom part of any serious classical lineup.)

On the other hand, Rieu is doing quite well despite the lack of recognition from the music establishment. What's more, he doesn't seem to care. "Every night is a party," he says proudly. And thousands of fans are more than happy to party along.