At university he performed the Gold And Silver Waltz by Franz Lehár. Encouraged by the audience reaction[citation needed], he decided to pursue the waltz form. Rieu formed the Maastricht Salon Orchestra, and served as violinist with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. In 1987, he created the Johann Strauss Orchestra and established his own production company. Since then, his melodramatic stage performances and rock-star demeanor have been widely associated with a revival of the waltz music category. André Rieu plays a 1667 Stradivarius violin.