April 30, 2026 From André Rieu’s Facebook account: The studio build is officially underway! There’s paint on the walls, plans on the floor and only six weeks left until rehearsals begin. Exciting times ahead!

April 16, 2026: From André Rieu’s Facebook account: The studio renovation continues! Today is demolition day!

We are standing here on hallowed ground, behind André Rieu’s studios, with big news. Shownieuws (Shownews) April 8, 2026 Dutch TV, Interview by Thom Goderie. Translation, Photos (screenshots) by Ineke. Completely in love!! AR: Yes, we are going to completely remodel the studio. We started here with Stereo, then came Dolby Surround, and now comes the very latest: Dolby Atmos. You won't believe what you’re hearing, so I said immediately: I’m sold! They are going to completely strip down the control room. A lot of cinemas nowadays want the very latest sound system, and we want to keep up with the times, so… When cinemas hear that we are bringing Dolby Atmos mixed films, they say: Aaah, come on in! TG: We, at Shownieuws, are naturally curious by nature, so perhaps we can take a look inside too? AR: Come in! AR: We play the same thing, of course, but they record it differently and mix it differently too. That is important. TG: Don't you need special speakers then? AR: Apparently, you can hear the difference immediately at home too. I keep asking those guys standing there editing: are we up to date? Usually they said “yes,” but now they said “no,” it has to be Dolby Atmos. I asked: “Oh, how much does that cost?” (Let’s not talk about that now!) 16 speakers are going to be hung here, everywhere. So, you are completely immersed in the sound, and that’s how they can mix it too. TG: There are very few people left in the world who approach it the way you do. AR: I don't know about that. I do know that fewer and fewer people do the recordings the way we do. With us, the whole orchestra comes in, the red light goes on, and we start recording. Other people record the clarinet first, then the trombone, and build the whole thing up like that. TG: How many people are in the studio here? AR: About 70. TG: Thank you very much for letting us take a look inside your musical kitchen in Maastricht. Have lots of fun with your Dolby Atmos. AR: Thank you. I am really looking forward to the recordings!

June 10, 2026 from Bela’s Facebook: A quick check-in in the studio. A lot of work to be done still but when it's finished it will be so beautiful! But now... To Copenhagen, Göteborg and Oslo for the next 3 shows.

June 22, 2026, article from Chapeau Magazine. By Jo Cortenraedt Translation by Diana D. Le Studio André Rieu after renovation more luxurious and acoustic After 25 years, André Rieu has completely renovated his studio and rehearsal room in Maastricht. In six weeks, the studio was stripped, redesigned and equipped with Dolby Atmos, which improved acoustics, and the atmosphere of a real concert hall. Today, the members of the Johann Strauss Orchestra were able to see the result with their own eyes, which prompted many “wow”s. The initial plan was to renovate the control room due to the switch from the Dolby Surround sound system to the Dolby Atmos system. “It sounds much better and is the best that’s technically possible right now,” said a delighted orchestra conductor. “But the company that came to do this for a hefty sum had also, just for fun, created a number of drawings and visuals showing how they could redesign the entire studio to achieve better sound during rehearsals. That would have doubled the cost, but I said yes anyway because I was convinced of the quality. I also added a few of my own requests right away, such as raised platforms and a beautiful wooden floor. It looks a lot cozier now.” The studio now looks somewhat like a decorated concert hall, including chandeliers and wall decorations. Only the seats that are normally in a concert hall are missing. The orchestra immediately noticed the improved acoustics. “It turns out that in fact we only have to play at half power,” Rieu said. “That’s because the sound comes back optimally. I'm glad everyone is satisfied with results. Because we all have to go through this for at least forty years.” In any case, the orchestra will rehearse in the coming days for the 12 Vrijthof concerts that start next Thursday, July 2nd 2026.

© Jo Cortenraedt

Facebook André Rieu: June 22, 2026: The wait is over! After months of hard work, our studio has been transformed, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. For 25 years, this has been our musical home. Now, with improved acoustics and a completely renewed look, it is ready for the next 25 years of making beautiful music together!

Screenshots from the video. Source: André Rieu Productions.

De Telegraaf. June 22, 2026 Richard van de Crommert, music journalist © Marcel van Hoorn translation Ineke/Diana André Rieu builds his own ballroom for rehearsals: “The last time I saw him so happy was at the birth of his grandchildren” Orchestra conductor André Rieu has built a heaven for himself. Over the past few months, while he was on tour through Poland, the Baltic states, and Scandinavia, among other places, his studio and rehearsal space in Maastricht have been converted into a ballroom with superb sound. "We can keep going with this for the next forty years." On Monday morning, the first summer-clad musicians trickled into the renovated studio to rehearse for the series of Vrijthof Concerts that will take place again in the Limburg capital starting next Thursday. Their faces spoke volumes. They had not expected a renovation like this. Inside, it still smelled completely new. André walked around the renovated studio as happy as a child. “The last time I saw him so happy was at the birth of his grandchildren,” said Andrés’s son Pierre. Belgium “I always ask the people around us if our studio is still up-to-date. Now it turned out there was something new: Dolby Atmos. I didn’t know what it was,” says the 76-year-old orchestra conductor. “We went to Belgium to listen, and I was immediately sold. I had wanted this twenty-five years ago, when I built this studio.” For the past twenty-five years, Rieu worked in the same room, but it was full of curtains and had floor tiles. “That wasn’t the ideal acoustics.” Wooden floor Now there are huge chandeliers, wall decorations, a wooden floor, and windows letting light in: it is like walking into a ballroom in Vienna. “From now on, the sound will be truly beautiful. Thanks to Dolby Atmos, you hear sounds all around you. It makes you even more a part of the music.” The Vrijthof concerts and Christmas shows are being prepared here in secret: "That all has to remain a surprise." "This is no longer allowed," the orchestra conductor says to a visitor walking in with a cup of coffee. "Drinking coffee is forbidden in the studio from now on. People spill it. That causes far too many stains." “Renovation is a huge motivator” Pierre adds: "This renovation is a huge motivator to keep going for the next forty years. Several cinemas also have Dolby Atmos. That provides a special experience. It means so much to André that he can do this. It is the crowning achievement of his work. He is creating freedom for himself." Just like with all renovations, there was stress regarding the deadline here as well. A sound panel on the ceiling came loose, and an air conditioner broke down last weekend. “We aren’t quite finished yet,” laughs Rieu. “But that’s how it should be, because as the saying goes: the last stretch is the hardest.” Exciting How did Rieu think the first rehearsal sounded? “It was exciting to see how it sounds, but it was very good right away. Maybe the sound was still too loud here and there and not everyone is in the ideal spot yet, but we are going to work on that.” The Limburg native is not yet willing to reveal anything about the Vrijthof concerts. “That all has to remain a surprise.” Rehearsals for the Christmas concerts are also taking place this week. With a children’s choir, perhaps? Rieu didn’t reveal anything about that either.

June 20, 2026: Photo by Koorschool (Choir School) CantiCollis. André Rieu conducting the 60 choir children from Koorschool CantiCollis, as they were rehearsing at his studio's newly renovated rehearsal hall on June 20, 2026, preparing for his Christmas 2026 concerts at the MECC. Koorschool CantiCollis is a choir school for children aged 4 to 12 years old, located in Wijlre, Limburg, Netherlands. The choir children were the first to experience the beautiful acoustics and renovation of André Rieu's rehearsal hall, even before the JSO members.