Andre Rieu’s wife, Marjorie, has written an enjoyable biography of her husband’s life called, André Rieu : my music, my life : how it all began (Hardie Grant, 2008). Throughout the book, she has captured Andre’s voice so well it feels like he is telling his own story.

She has written of Andre’s childhood growing up surrounded by classic music but also includes some of his other loves. Of course, we read of his many hours of music practice but also many other aspects of his childhood. The book contains many interesting insights into what makes Andre such an entertaining musician. It includes people and events that influenced his early life, his determination to achieve his goals, and his courage to trust his instincts. It was also pleasing to read of Andre’s charitable work.

One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was how he began the Johanna Strauss orchestra and the stories of their early performances. In about 1995 Andre managed to arrange for his orchestra to be on television. From that moment success came quickly and the book come to a swift conclusion since Marjorie feels so much has already been written about the orchestra’s successes.

Andre’s desire is to bring joy into the lives of others through his music so that they will enjoy listening as much as he enjoys playing. This is apparent not only in this book but also when you see him play.