André Rieu Lisboa tickets

André Rieu was born on 1 October 1949 in Maastricht, Netherlands, the third of six children in a musical family. His father, Andries Antonie Rieu, conducted the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra, and André picked up the violin at age five. He went on to study at the Conservatoire Royal in Liège and the Conservatorium Maastricht before earning a "Premier Prix" distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he trained under André Gertler.

In 1987, Rieu founded the Johann Strauss Orchestra with just 12 musicians, giving its debut concert on 1 January 1988. The ensemble grew to between 50 and 60 members and became one of the highest-grossing touring acts in the world, consistently landing in the Billboard and Pollstar Top 25 Worldwide Tours lists throughout the 2010s. Rieu performs on a 1667 Stradivarius violin known as the "Captain Saville," and his shows blend classical music, waltzes, and theatrical staging into a spectacle that regularly fills arenas and stadiums across Europe, the Americas, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

What sets an André Rieu concert apart is the atmosphere. His performances feel closer to a celebration than a traditional classical recital, with elaborate stage designs, period costumes, and a warmth that draws audiences who might never set foot in a conventional concert hall. His 2008 world tour featured a full-size reproduction of Empress Sisi's castle, which at the time was the largest stage set ever taken on tour.