[blockquote]André Rieu dominates charts with 9 DVDs in the top 11 – CD ‘Waltzing Matilda’ goes to #1 – André’s entire DVD catalogue in the top 40 – 2 new stadium concerts announced[/blockquote]

Hot on the heels of an outstandingly successful visit to promote his new recordings and forthcoming World Stadium Tour, the tour with the biggest stage ever – André Rieu, ‘King of the Waltz’, arrived in Australia on May 8 to commence a heavy schedule of press, radio and television interviews – André Rieu Productions and Universal Music Australia are thrilled to announce that Waltzing Matilda has topped the ARIA Motorola (Pop) Chart for Mother’s Day, ahead of Australian idol winner Damien Leith and pop queen Madonna.

In addition, the recently-released 6CD set ‘The 100 Most Beautiful Melodies’ holds its No.12 position in the Pop Chart, having already made history as the first-ever six-CD set to rise to No.2 in the charts shortly after release. And there’s more… André Rieu enjoys 9 of the top 11 in the ARIA DVD chart and his entire DVD catalogue is in the Top 40!

Rieu was presented with awards for an unprecedented 54 platinum accreditations achieved in the space of 18 months, a record unequalled by any artist in Australia, and probably the world.

A few hours before the announcement of this success, Rieu was presented with awards for an unprecedented 54 platinum accreditations achieved in the space of 18 months, a record unequalled by any artist in Australia, and probably the world. Sales of Rieu’s recordings are now well in excess of 1.2 million in Australia.

Sell-out success for his World Stadium Tour concerts – for which Rieu has build a 125 x 35 meters big mobile reproduction of Vienna’s famous Schönbrunn Palace – in Sydney and Melbourne has led to the announcement of two new shows going on sale.

Highlights of André Rieu’s visit have included an exclusive dinner at Parliament House in Brisbane, several press conferences and signing sessions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, where news crews captured thousands of adoring fans lined up before even the sun had risen to catch a glimpse of the music maestro. Ever the professional, André, together with Mirusia – the Brisbane-born soprano who sings several of the songs on Waltzing Matilda and is now a part of André’s Johann Strauss Orchestra – stayed and signed every autograph.

Visibly moved by awards conferred on him for unprecedented sales of his recordings as well as the No.1 album for Waltzing Matilda, André acknowledged the strong bond he has forged with his Australian audiences as well his record company and added that “the biggest award of them all is to see all the happy faces and hear all the joyful stories from my fans. My love for your country and its people is absolute and I look forward to sharing my music with you when we return to Australia for performances in November and December.”

In mid May André will be taking his Johann Strauss Orchestra on their second tour through the USA and Canada this year.