Chichester's Charlotte Hawkins is André Rieu’s host as his music screens in cinemas across the country

Our host for the show will be Chichester-born Charlotte Hawkins, known for her roles at Classic FM and Good Morning Britain. Charlotte will provide exclusive backstage access and also conducts an interview with André straight after he comes off stage (tickets on https://www.andreincinemas.com/)

Charlotte, who went to Chichester’s Bishop Luffa School, has been working with André for 13 years now: “It is very special. I was just asked if I wanted to go out and host his classical concerts which he performs in Maastricht every year, something he's been doing year in year out, and it is really lovely for people to get that experience in the cinema, the closest you can get to actually being there in the middle of the square. It is such a special experience and I think at the cinema that very special engagement that he has with his audience just leaps off the screen. And even in the cinemas people are often so moved that they are singing and they are clapping and we've even actually had a marriage proposal! I'm we're hoping with this year's concert being Power Of Love we might even get another one.

“But the thing that I love is that it is always so different. I've been doing it for 13 years but with André’s music he always does things a little bit differently. One year we had Mary Poppins absailing from the top of the stage and another year we had David Hasselhoff and this year we have got the wonderful Emma Kok.”

16-year-old Emma, a star of the Dutch version of The Voice Kids, so wowed André with her rendition of Voilà that he invited her to perform with him: “I was standing with her backstage and she is tiny and you think how will she be able to hold all those people in the palm of her hand but she did. Her voice is just incredible. She has got such a special gift.”

As for André himself: “There are a number of different things going on. First of all, he is an absolutely amazingly talented musician. First and foremost with him it is all about the music and about wanting to present classical music in a different way. You see classical music concerts where it's all very serious and sombre but he wanted to change that. He wanted more engagement and he wanted to show that classical music is for everybody. It's not just something that you put in a box and say this is classical. It really is for everyone.

“And also he really cares. That’s the thing. He cares about putting on the best show for the audience and he has got a great sense of entertainment and a great sense of mischief as well. After a break if he sees someone coming back late from the loo then he will tease them. He is always such great fun.

“And I get to speak to him straight after he comes off the stage. I interview him and considering that he has just done this concert for however many hours, it is always lovely to chat to him. It really matters to him that he is engaging with people and communicating with people and bringing out the emotional side to the music. He gets to choose pieces of music that will bring out the reaction in people and I think he just really understands what makes us tick, what the emotions are and how to bring them out.”