André Rieu says he wants to live to 140 because there is too much in life that he still wants to do and it doesn’t involve going on a cruise ship.
The globally-renowned Dutch violinist and conductor, 74, first created his famous Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987 and despite coming dangerously close to bankruptcy and overcoming health scares in the past, has no intention of slowing down.
Speaking to The Standard from his Maastricht castle in the Netherlands to promote his upcoming shows in London next month, Rieu admits that his mind is already bursting with ideas for how he can top this tour in future.
“Every year my wife and family, we go three days to Rome and that’s it, our break, so the rest [of the year] I love to play music. I will never take a break and never stop! I will never retire,” he declared.
“In October I’ll be 75 and I intend to live to 140 so I’m half way!”
In the meantime he is returning to the UK with his 60-piece company and an array of talented guest vocalists cherry-picked by himself, for two unforgettable nights at the OVO Arena Wembley on May 15 and May 18.
“The London audience is fantastic, they are really great. When they come to my concerts they suck every note out of my violin and out of they orchestra. Also their humour and their wit, it’s really great to play there,” he enthused.
“I was sitting in a classical orchestra myself a hundred years ago and people when they go to a classical concert they look at the programme, what conductor is coming, what symphony are they playing, who is the soloist? Should I go? Should I not go?
“In my case, the people know André and his orchestra is coming, they don’t know at all what we are going to do but they buy the tickets because they know they will have an evening they will never forget and that is something I am very proud of.
“I can promise that for three hours they will forget everything else and [experience] only joy. [They] go home and they need at least two weeks to come down to earth again.”
The same can be said for Rieu, who admits that he struggles to sleep after a concert, so just imagine what it was like for the King of the Waltz during the Covid lockdown when he wasn’t allowed to perform.
“It was torture!” the maestro confessed, however it did lead to him taking up an unexpected hobby.
“I remember very well that time, and I tell you, I cannot sleep after a concert, it’s very difficult to sleep. I hear that of other artists also so I’m always looking on my iPhone at baking tutorials and so I started to bake!
“That’s what I did throughout the whole pandemic. I loved it so I bake a lot of things! I can send you photographs of the results.”
Rieu keeps his fans updated on social media about his latest bakes which often find their way into the mouths of his very happy orchestra members and back in 2021, he even appeared as a guest baker on Heel Holland Bakt, the Dutch version of the Great British Bake Off.
While he says he would be up for joining Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith in the Bake Off Tent in the UK, his overriding passion remains music.
“Everybody says ‘oh, you’re going to be a baker?’ I say ‘no, I love making music too much’,” he laughs heartily.
