SANTA MONICA, Calif. (By Kurt Nishimura/ Brookes Company Media Relations) - Denon Classics (a unit of the Savoy Label Group) is proud to announce that classical music phenomenon
Andre Rieu will return to the US for a series of arena dates beginning in April, following the smash success of his '05 project, "The Flying Dutchman." Bolstered by PBS pledge drive airings in December and an extensive Denon Classics marketing campaign, "The Flying Dutchman" exploded onto the charts, reaching No 1 on Billboard Magazine's Classical Chart throughout the Fall, resulting in Rieu being named the No 2 Classical act for all of 2005 in the U.S. In addition, the December US arena tour was a sellout and Rieu reached No 8 on Pollstar Magazine's list of Top 10 Touring Acts for all of 2005.
Primarily a West Coast tour in '05, Rieu will begin the '06 leg in Miami on April 18, moving on to Texas and then much of the East Coast before ending in Chicago on May 30th. Many of the dates are already sold out, including NYC's Radio City on May 21st! The complete tour schedule is as follows: 4/18 Miami, FL (Bank United Center); 4/19 Tampa, FL (St. Pete Times Forum); 4/20 Orlando, FL (TD Waterhouse Center); 4/21 Pensacola, FL (Pensacola Civic Center); 4/22 Baton Rouge, LA (Baton Rouge River Center Arena); 4/23 Houston, TX (Cynthia Woods Pavilion); 4/24 Dallas Fort Worth, TX (Nokia Theatre); 4/26 St. Louis, MO (Savvis Centre); 4/27 Kansas City, MO (Municipal Auditorium Arena); 4/28 Des Moine, IA (Wells Fargo Arena); 4/29 Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Arena); 5/15 Detroit, MI (The Palace of Auburn Hills); 5/16 Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena); 5/17 Pittsburgh, PA (Mellon Arena); 5/18 Baltimore, MD (1st Mariner Arena); 5/19 Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Hall); 5/20 Philadelphia, PA (Liacouras Center); 5/21 New York (Radio City); 5/23 Hartford, CT (Chevrolet Theatre); 5/24 Boston, MA (Fleet Center); 5/26 Montreal, QC (Bell Center); 5/27 Quebec, QC (Pepsi Coliseum); 5/28 Ottawa, ON (Scotiabank Palace); 5/30 Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena).
In an age of dwindling exposure for classical music on television and sliding album sales, Andre Rieu's evolution in North America in the last three years has been nothing short of remarkable. His musical spectaculars, whether filmed in the sublime landscapes of Tuscany or the lush Dublin countryside, have touched a legion of fans worldwide and have earned the multi-talented conductor, composer and violinist a reputation as a musician and entertainer unparalleled.
Also known as 'The Waltz King of Europe,' the Dutch born violinist consistently reaches the top tiers of the classical charts since his first recording and has recently seen all of his Denon Classics releases become best-sellers, each reaching within the top five of Billboard's prestigious Classical charts. With his Holland-based orchestra, Andre Rieu has electrified audiences worldwide with his unique musical vision, blending classical and pop elements, rhythm and dance into a charismatic event. It's a vision that has solidified Rieu's reputation as one of the premier live performers.
Says Steve Vining, President of the Savoy Label Group: "It's great to work with an artist like Andre because his profile just keeps getting bigger and better with every project and with every tour. It will be exciting for us to reach out to new fans on this tour and to know that his next project in the Fall will be his biggest yet!"
The leading independent classical music label in North America and Billboard's No 3 Classical company overall in 2005, Denon Classics is a division of the Savoy Label Group which is the North American unit of Columbia Music Entertainment (formerly Nippon Columbia), the oldest music company in Japan. Newly reorganized and now headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, Columbia Music Entertainment has reemerged as a significant force with a stable of newly signed platinum-selling artists.
