For the second time André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra performed in Lithuania. In 2014 they performed one concert in the capital Vilnius. On June 2 and 3, 2026 they gave 2 concerts in the city of Kaunas. Sharing a June 2, 2026 interviewing article from LRT. (Lithuanian National Broadcaster) Interview by Ramūnas Zilnys Photos by Teodoro Biliūno Translated by Diana D. Le Waltz King's triumph: André Rieu held a packed concert at Žalgirio Arena Tuesday evening – celebration in Kaunas Žalgirio Arena. The first of the two concerts was held here by the popular Dutch conductor and violinist André Rieu with his orchestra. For the second time, the 76-year-old musician, who is visiting Lithuania, is one of the most popular performers in the world, often called the “King of the Waltz”. The Dutchman, who conducts both the waltz and the orchestra performing music from movies or pop music, is famous for making every concert a colorful show that there is no shortage of humor and the mood of the celebration. Music critics often criticize his approach - pampering to the audience, an eccentric taste (with the musician's idea, all the women of his orchestra are wearing Walt Disney animated princesses-like dresses. Once Rieu decided to create gigantic decorations for his tour, reproducing the royal palace in Vienna. The experiment was so expensive that Rieu suffered a loss of about 30 million euros and almost went bankrupt. But since then, Rieu is a huge success – his concerts take place in full-length arenas, stadiums, and squares, audio and video recordings have been sold in more than 40 million copies. “I know I’m using my entire classical music education on stage. I treat music very responsibly. I hope Johann Strauss would be pleased with how I play his music. What snobs think is their business. Let's think what you want. "You know, often modern music is quite shallow. But when I make a mistake in playing the waltz, everyone notices it. "It is not easy to play with 80 people. You have to gather musicians who want to do that. And every night, it's a great joy. We play together as one, as a harmonious collective,” the musician said in an interview with LRT before his stay in Lithuania. He visited Lithuania for the first time in 2014, when he held a concert in Vilnius Siemans Arena. This time he came to Kaunas – and as soon as he announced the performance at the largest arena in Lithuania, the tickets were snatched away. "I had to announce an additional show – there were no tickets left in it either." In Kaunas, André Rieu will be available for two days in a row – the concert is also expected on Wednesday. Foreign artists do not receive such success in Lithuania very often. The interviewed Lithuanian concert organizers were amazed that the artist, who was so loved by the audience, had to wait in our country for 12 years. "I'm 76, I'm less playing the violin, I'm doing more conducting. Maybe the recipe for success is that I'm doing it with my heart. "Viewers feel it. My arrangements for the orchestra are designed in such a way that I touch people as deeply as possible," Rieu told LRT. Before the concerts, he adheres to the ritual – be sure to sleep in the afternoon, so that he would take full of energy to the stage. On Tuesday evening, the full Žalgirio Arena saw him – with the sound of the “March of the Gladiators” by the composer Julius Fuchikus, to the hall Rieu walked among the spectators and went on stage while waving at them. On a stage enhanced by giant screens, Rieu’s orchestra performed a program consisting of waltzes, pop hits, and musical excerpts. It is structured in such a way that boredom never sets in—the themes are constantly changing, and humorous or poignant vignettes are interspersed throughout. The audience heard both a Ukrainian song and a humorous piece, during which one of the musicians pretended to fall asleep on stage. The audience heard both the Platin Tenors trio, which has become an integral part of Rieu’s performances, and the pan flute virtuoso Michel Tirabosco, who was born without hands. Also appearing was an American opera soloist Micaëla Oeste, who has been captivating audiences at Rieu’s concerts for several years now and who performed an aria from the opera Norma. The two-part concert culminates in a lengthy encore featuring an excerpt from the opera La Traviata, a Greek sirtaki, and legendary pop hits such as Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Tom Jones’s “Delilah” (performed by the talented Dutch rock vocalist Phil Bee). Musicians not only play in this concert, but also dance and create comedy etudes. Colored balloons and snow fall on the heads of the audience. No wonder André Rieu performances attract so many spectators – it’s a chance to feel like a carnival of music for a couple of hours, where all the troubles disappear. Today, the musician lives in a castle that legendary musketeer D’Artagnan visited, constantly retains several dozen employees and enjoys great success. He once almost lost music. “My wife and I both had a lot of training, so we wanted to do something completely different. "We decided to open the pizzeria, we created the menu, started looking for a place. We thought that the Paganini pizza would be the most expensive – I would come to the table, to play it when it was brought. "But I picked up the violin anyway, started playing, and, thankfully, the idea of opening a pizzeria disappeared. "We were six children in the family. My younger brother and I were apostate. My parents didn’t believe in us. They loved the other four children. I don't know why. We both are very open and emotional, and our parents didn't know how to deal with us. They said we would never achieve anything. "Of course, you could say that’s why I’m still trying to prove my worth. I don’t think that’s the case. It’s just that from the moment my wife came into my life, I opened up. Because she believed in me,” Rieu told LRT; he has been living with his wife, Marjorie, for more than 50 years. And then he mischievously added: "We are 50 years together and never argue. Except when we have to dance. Because I said I know how to waltz, and she replied, ‘No, I’m the one who knows how.’ And she’s right. I don’t know how to dance. I play music. "My recipe for marriage - to go on tour often. Of course, it's a joke, but there’s some truth to it. Being together every day isn’t good. You need to have your own separate life.” After his visit to Kaunas, Rieu's tour of Europe will continue, and his head is full of musical plans. "Maastricht (the city where André Rieu was born and lived) the government still wants to establish a museum dedicated to me, to build a monument to me – I say, no, stop, wait for me to die. No need. There's my music, it's on CDs. People can enjoy it. That's enough. "My dream is simple: to stay healthy and continue. Because I realized my biggest dream - to have an orchestra and travel the world with it. Dreaming of one thing, making reality another. I want that to last forever," the musician told LRT. At the end of the evening, he also announced a happy news for fans (also for those who wore sadness online because they did not have time to buy tickets) - exactly a year later, on June 2, 2027, André Rieu will perform again in Kaunas Arena.

In between Christina Petrou and Joline Soomers, we see a new Choir member (in the blue dress). Her name is Sarah Meyer and she is in the choir since April 2026 (Ireland concerts).

From Instagram: Fantastic! JSO violinist Justinas Kaunas in Kaunas!!!