One of the most successful violinists and conductors in music, Rieu has now been performing around the world with his Johann Strauss Orchestra for 35 years.

New Year's is always such a special time, looking forward to the future, coming together with friends and family and toasting the year ahead," enthuses Rieu of the new concert film. To celebrate his imminent return to cinemas in the New Year, we quizzed the Dutch star about all things festive.

Ha-ha, no – I've been interviewed by my son Pierre several times and of course he only asks me nice questions. He's very much involved in my company, as is my wife Marjorie. I think we're the biggest family business in classical music or maybe even the world of music.

I vividly remember meeting John Sheahan from The Dubliners at a pub in Dublin and performing with him together. The next day I invited him on stage during my concert and the audience went wild. I've yet to visit some of Ireland's major attractions, as we usually travel directly to the venue, but I've said many times in interviews that the Irish audiences are the most fun to play for and meeting the people is the most important thing for me when I travel. André Rieu, world-renowned Dutch violinist and conductor, is set to captivate audiences once again with a mesmerizing concert at 3Arena on Friday, 10 May 2024. In 1978, I founded my first small ensemble the Maastricht Salon Orkest. But since I absolutely wanted to play the waltzes by Johann Strauss, my favourite composer, I needed to expand my orchestra and, in 1987, I founded the Johann Strauss Orchestra with 12 members. Now we are 60 musicians including the chorus, and I think it is the biggest private orchestra in the world. Our first performances were in small theatres, until our big breakthrough in 1994 when I performed at half-time during the Champions League match between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Bayern Munich.What can Irish audiences expect from your new cinema special, André Rieu: Together Again, which opens tomorrow? While Maastricht is covered with snow, grandpa André is cooking for all of them: the rest enjoy each other's company. Prepare to take your seat in Amsterdam’s spectacular Ziggo Dome Arena, or join fellow fans for an exciting evening of music on Vrijthof Square in André's home town of Maastricht, and soak up the unforgettable concert atmosphere. There are a lot of songs that I love to perform, but my favourite is The Beautiful Blue Danube by Johann Strauss. For me, it is the perfect waltz. Simply beautiful. I play it in all my concerts and the audience jumps out of their seats and dances to it. I heard they also do it in the cinemas, which I think is wonderful.