André Rieu - The Second Waltz (Shostakovich)

85,965,086 views May 29, 2012

André Rieu performing Shostakovich' "The Second Waltz" live in Maastricht, The Netherlands

André Rieu - Nearer, My God, to Thee (live in Amsterdam)

41,390,463 views Jul 30, 2013

André Rieu, over 500 brass players & the Johann Strauss Orchestra performing Nearer, my God, to Thee live in Amsterdam. Taken from the DVD "André Rieu Gala-Live in de Arena" (Dutch release), available at http://www.andrerieu.com.

André Rieu - You'll Never Walk Alone

André Rieu donates £360k to provide music lessons for 1,000 children

2 December 2019, 16:55

André Rieu donates £360k to provide music lessons for children. Picture: Getty

By Maddy Shaw Roberts

0

The Dutch violinist made the generous donation to a youth foundation, which provides music lessons for children whose families can’t afford them

André Rieu has donated €425,000 (£360,000) to provide music lessons for 1,000 children living in his hometown in the Netherlands.

The Dutch violinist and conductor donated the money to Jeugdfonds Cultuur Limburg, a culture and youth foundation in the province of Limburg.

With music increasingly disappearing from schools, Rieu says, children today are learning to make music far less than before.

“I would like to give these children the pleasure of making music,” said the maestro. “My orchestra members and I know how much fun it is to make music every day, and to make millions of people happy with music night after night.”

Read more: André Rieu’s concerts, wife, net worth and more facts >

André Rieu playing a full-size violin as a child. Picture: Beeld Privéarchief Rieu

“We were all given the chance to have music lessons since our childhood and were fortunate to learn how to play an instrument,” he continued.

“So, we may understand better than anyone else what it means if you do not get that chance to be involved with music as a child.”

According to Jeugdfonds Cultuur Limburg, it costs €425 (£365) to provide one child with music lessons for a year. The foundation plans to use its recent generous donation to open an ‘André Rieu Fund’, which they hope to use to draw more sponsors.

Earlier this year, Rieu offered to replace €20,000 worth of stolen instruments, which were taken from an orchestra for the mentally disabled. He said: “My heart broke when I read [the news]. I want them to be able to perform again very soon.”

Andre Rieu replaces instruments ...

... stolen from disabled musicians: 

‘My heart broke’

Picture: Getty

By Maddy Shaw Roberts, ClassicFM London

5K

The Dutch violinist has vowed to reimburse an orchestra for the mentally disabled, whose trailer full of instruments was stolen in the early hours of Thursday morning.

André Rieu has pledged to replace 20,000 euros of musical instruments, which were stolen from an orchestra of musicians with mental disabilities.

The instruments, which belonged to the Haarlem brass band ‘Happy with Music’, were stolen in the early hours of Thursday 13 June, along with the band’s trailer.

The chairman of the band, Juria van der Lubbe, told Dutch newspaper the Telegraaf: “Seventeen years of work is in it. Sponsor promotions, the VriendenLoterij, the local Vomar. All these years they have contributed bit by bit to all instruments. That is gone in one fell swoop.”

After reading about their story, Dutch violinist and maestro André Rieu decided to step in.

He said: “My heart broke when I read on the Telegraaf website that this group of musicians had been robbed of all their instruments. I want them to be able to perform again very soon.

Van der Lubbe described the news as “fantastic” and “almost unbelievable”.

She told RTL Nieuws: “What a lovely man that he is going to do this for our brass band. I am completely confused.”

Last year, Rieu pledged 700 tons of steel towards the restoration of Notre-Dame, following the fire which devastated the 850-year-old cathedral in April.

André Rieu - And The Waltz Goes On With Sir Anthony Hopkins

Andre Rieu Plays Live at Wembley Arena

The King of The Waltz made a triumphant return to London to bring his show to Wembley Arena.

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André Rieu live at Wembley Arena

Andre Rieu takes the applause during his festive show at Wembley Arena. 

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