Andre Rieu Best Selling Male Artist of the World

NEW YORK, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Andre Rieu is the world's most successful male touring artist of the first half of 2009, according to Billboard magazine. The leading music industry publication has published an overview of the 25 best selling tours and Rieu ranked number 4. With 554,242 tickets sold and $57.4 million in gross revenue, only Madonna, Tina Turner and Britney Spears had more revenues coming in.

Rieu, who already clinched the 8th position on Pollstar's 2008 touring chart, is pleased with the news.

Says Rieu:"It is fantastic. The last 30 years I worked hard to entertain as many people as possible and show them that classical music can be a lot of fun. That is my mission and the fact that we're so high on the chart shows that we succeed in that."

No surprise

Although Rieu's success is remarkable to outsiders, it is by no means a huge surprise for the millions who already have discovered Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. Rieu's concerts are very different from what many people expect from a classical concert. Being a natural showman Rieu gets the audience, ranging from 0 to 100, out of their chair and on their feet, dancing, clapping and laughing. Rieu's concerts are extravaganzas that attract thousands of fans a night.

Global success

The success of Rieu is truly global. In the last year, Rieu and his 55 piece Johann Strauss Orchestra toured Japan, Australia, all over Europe and just completed a 35 city tour in the USA and Canada. Capitalizing on his success, Rieu is currently making plans to tour South America, South Africa, United Kingdom, and Portugal. Unique is that Rieu, who is fluent in many languages, always addresses the audience in their native language.

Ambassador of classical music

Rieu, who plays a 1732 Stradivarius, is passionate about music and is dedicated to introduce children to the world of classical music. "In New York and Los Angeles we invited inner city kids to the soundcheck and the concert. It was great to introduce them to this kind of music, which they usually don't hear, and see that they truly enjoyed the whole day. Being an ambassador for classical music, that's what I've done in the last 30 years, and that's what I'll continue doing in the next 30 years," states Rieu.

SOURCE Andre Rieu Productions