You can’t blame Rieu for putting off his tour until he feels better. The artist is suffering from a viral infection of the vestibular nerve, which runs to the vestibule in the inner ear. Needless to say, concert halls, wildly applauding audiences and the Johann Strauss Orchestra are not things the doctor ordered for the maestro.

Speaking from his home in Maastricht, Netherlands, Rieu said he was “heartbroken not to perform to his fans in the U.K. and Ireland,” adding that he expects to fully recover and fulfill his touring commitments “very soon.”

The tour, which was supposed to begin tonight at the O2 – London, will be rescheduled for April through May 2011. While tickets for the fall tour will be honored on the new dates, ticketholders seeking refunds should apply at points of purchase.

Rieu’s next scheduled performance is Nov. 18 in Merksem, Belgium, at the Sportpaleis Antwerpen.

For more information, click here for André Rieu’s website.