(Photo credit: Govert de Roos)
Andre Rieu has received the Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria on *Sunday, July 3. The decoration was awarded by Marianna Klicka, president of the District of Vienna. Rieu received the honor for his efforts to promote Viennese music around the world.
Rieu, the world’s most popular classical artist who is renowned for his energetic and festive live concerts, thanked the Republic of Austria by performing a waltz he composed, “Wiener Festwalzer,” with his Johann Strauss Orchestra.
Sir Anthony Hopkins was in attendance on Sunday, as he came from Los Angeles to attend the world premiere of the waltz that he recently composed. Hopkins has written music for many years, but the ‘Thor’ co-star composed his latest piece, “And The Waltz Goes On,” with Rieu specifically in mind to perform it. Rieu was so enthusiastic about the work that he immediately set plans in motion to record it. Hopkins’ wife was reportedly moved to tears during the initial performance of the tune.
“I’ve been a great admirer of Andr Rieu for several years,” says Anthony Hopkins about his collaboration with Andr Rieu. “My wife and I had the same dream of meeting him one day, so I sent him some music that I wrote. It’s adream came true for me that Andr performed it with his orchestra. I’m totally knocked out by the result. It’s even more than I expected!”
The waltz will be on Rieu’s new album and will be performed by Rieu while on tour in the USA, Canada and Mexico, this fall. The complete itinerary of the tour can be found below.
| Date | City | Venue |
| September 10, 2011 | Calgary | Scotiabank Saddledome |
| September 11, 2011 | Edmonton | Rexall Place |
| September 12, 2011 | Saskatoon | Credit Union Centre |
| September 14, 2011 | Winnipeg | MTS Centre |
| September 16, 2011 | Minneapolis | Xcel Energy Center |
| September 17, 2011 | Des Moines | Wells Fargo Arena |
| September 18, 2011 | Chicago | United Center |
| September 19, 2011 | Detroit | Fox Theatre |
| October 8, 2011 | Mexico City | Auditorio Nacional |
| October 9, 2011 | Mexico City | Auditorio Nacional |
| October 10, 2011 | Mexico City | Auditorio Nacional |
| October 11, 2011 | Mexico City | Auditorio Nacional |
| October 1, 1934 | Guadalajara | Auditorio Telmex |
| October 14, 2011 | Guadalajara | Auditorio Telmex |
| October 16, 2011 | Monterrey | Arena Monterrey |
| October 18, 2011 | San Antonio | AT&T Center |
| October 19, 2011 | Grand Prairie | Verizon Theatre |
| November 19, 2011 | Washington | Patriot Center |
| November 20, 2011 | Pittsburgh | Consol energy center |
| November 21, 2011 | Buffalo | HSBC Arena |
*The initial announcement incorrectly dated the event Saturday, July 2.
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