Johann Strauss Orchestra

Although the Johann Strauss Orchestra’s timeline does not coincide exactly with that of Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu—who had already presented modest classical crossover programs with his Maastricht Salon Orchestra during the late 1970s—the ensemble, founded in 1987, quickly became the principal outlet for Rieu’s expanding artistic ambitions. Its debut performance under his direction took place on January 1, 1988, with an initial roster of twelve musicians. By 2008 the ensemble had grown to forty-three players, and in the mid-2010s its size fluctuated between eighty and one hundred fifty members according to the demands of each venue and program.

Viennese waltzes, the works that first established Rieu’s reputation, remain at the heart of the repertoire, yet the orchestra’s reach now extends to popular songs, film themes, musical-theater selections, and a broad spectrum of classical pieces. The group has received two World Music Awards and has traveled with Rieu, widely acclaimed as the Waltz King, through Europe as well as to the United States—where it has become a familiar presence on his PBS television broadcasts—Japan, and Australia. All of Rieu’s recordings, produced in his own technically advanced studios in Maastricht, feature the Johann Strauss Orchestra. Amore appeared in 2017, and Happy Days followed in 2019.