Article about the Rieu family as entrepreneurs. December 5, 2024, Het Financieele Dagblad (Daily newspaper for the business community). By Freek Kilsdonk. Translated by Ineke, edited by John de Jong. André Rieu retains control The world-famous violinist turned 75 this year, but still has an eye for detail every day. And that's necessary, because the Rieus retain control of their family business. André Rieu employs around 125 permanent employees, both on and behind the stage. A number of them have been working for the violinist since 1987. A self-produced television series on NPO1, a revised edition of his biography, a two-and-a-half-hour concert film which is showing in hundreds of cinemas from Sydney to New York and from Bahrain to Greenland, his own postage stamp and football shirts with his image. André Rieu has had a special year, and then he still has an almost sold-out series of Christmas concerts ahead of him in his beloved Maastricht. In addition to creative successes, Rieu was also in the news this year due to his financial success. His company paid out a record dividend of €37 million in 2023, Quote reported after studying the annual figures. That means that the years in which Rieu had to give his violin and name as collateral to the bank are far behind him. CV (Curriculum Vitae = resume) • 1949 Born on October 1 in Maastricht • 1977 Graduates from the conservatory in Brussels • 1978 Second violinist in the Limburg Symphony Orchestra and stand-alone violinist with the Maastricht Salon Orchestra • 1987 Founding of the Johann Strauss Orchestra • 1994 Breakthrough with the album Strauss & Co. • 2005 First concert series on the Vrijthof in Maastricht • 2006 Opening of André Rieu Productions office in New York • 2008 Loss of millions for André Rieu Productions • 2019 First Christmas concerts in the MECC in Maastricht André Rieu received a classical music education at an early age; his father was conductor at the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. After Rieu graduated from the Brussels Conservatory (with the Premier Prix, a prize for the best students), he became second violinist in the Limburg Symphony Orchestra and stand- alone violinist, or the playing leader, of the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. Nine years later he started the Johann Strauss Orchestra. Family strengths André Rieu Productions BV (ARP) is run as a true family business. André and his wife Marjorie own the shares, youngest son Pierre plays a central role in numerous decisions and eldest son Marc – who works as an artist – is associated with the company as a creative consultant. With his own studio and rehearsal space on the outskirts of Maastricht, a travel branch that offers hotel packages for performances and the self-publishing of his biography – written by Marjorie – Rieu remains in charge. According to Pierre Rieu, this is a conscious choice, also when producing his own TV series. "Twenty years ago, the TROS wanted to make a real-life soap about a tour of my father's." However, the Rieu family did not like a reality series à la André Hazes (A Dutch folk singer), but after repeated requests, they decided to take on the production themselves. Pierre Rieu: "Own cameramen, own sound people. We make the product ourselves and only show our work." "That’s typical André," says Marthijn Graafland, who worked as financial director for Rieu in the United States. "When he says: “I want to do it”, then we do it ourselves." Graafland also arranged a first performance of Rieu in Mexico in 2010. At shows in the US, it was noticeable that there were many Mexicans in the audience. Graafland: "André then encourages: "Go to Mexico, and see." In Mexico City, Graafland saw how a man at a market made a living by selling illegal André Rieu DVDs. "That triggered us. So there must be a market for André, but we didn’t know if it was going to be a success." However, the Mexican concert promoter OCESA was not interested in booking André Rieu, so they rented the Auditorio Nacional at their own expense and risk, arranged the promotion with a local freelancer and sold 40,000 tickets. Rieu likes to work with permanent employees – his company has around 125 permanent employees, both on and behind the stage, some of whom have been with him since the beginning in 1987. This preference goes so far that in New York, where unions have exclusive contracts with concert halls, Rieu pays local union members to do nothing. This is the only way he can guarantee that his own employees control the construction, lighting and sound. New markets This method and the success of André Rieu are the subject of scientific research. Several case studies on André Rieu from Harvard Business School, amongst others, are still material for hundreds of students every year. For example, professor Mark F. Peterson made a case study on Rieu's approach to exploring markets."'André Rieu Productions often chooses to make extensive use of billboards or bus shelter posters, for a longer period of time than usual." According to Peterson, that is one of the obstacles which Rieu encountered in China, where he only performed once - the country does not allow months of marketing campaigns. In municipal advisory reports on the hotel sector, Maastricht's dependence on Rieu is called a 'risk' Nowadays, the Johann Strauss Orchestra stays a little closer to home. Pierre Rieu: "Intercontinental tours, such as three weeks in South America or three weeks in Australia, I don’t see them happening any time soon." The popularity of the concerts in Maastricht contributes to this, although according to Pierre Rieu that was not a deliberate strategy – "we make grateful use of it." In everything Rieu does, he keeps an eye out on detail, whether it is a tour with the Schönbrunn decor in Australia or the Christmas concerts in Maastricht. Pierre Rieu: "Then he does not only look at the musical aspect, but also at the decoration of the hall." For example, Rieu’s company is currently in talks with a supplier of stands to make the railings, which currently are still grey steel, to gold-coloured next year. Pierre Rieu : "We haven’t found the right colour yet." Eternal life With the years, come the questions about the future – according to Pierre, the most frequently asked question is: "What will happen when André is no longer there?" André Rieu himself, 75, likes to brush these questions off by claiming that he will live to be 140. His son mainly sees the pleasure with which he still goes to work every day: "Then the orchestra rehearses a piece by Strauss, and you can see him really enjoying it." The future of Rieu is on the minds of fans worldwide, as well as the middle class in Maastricht. Research by Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in 2018 showed that the summer concert series on the Vrijthof earned the city around €30 million that year. The 152,900 visitors from home and abroad spent their money on hotels, shopping and museums. Enough to, together with art fair "TEFAF" give the local catering industry a significant boost. "But no one has eternal life," says GroenLinks (Political Party) council member Mark Mülders. This summer he raised the question whether the municipality of Maastricht had also thought about a plan B, for when the Rieu concerts no longer take place. "It is also about the economic importance for the city; has the board even thought about that?" Municipal advisory reports on the hotel sector also refer to Rieu's dependence as a "risk." Pierre Rieu: "There is only one thing for which there is no backup, and that is for dad." For the time being, André Rieu is simply continuing. 67 performances are already planned for 2025, including twelve concerts at "his" Vrijthof.