Herman van Veen | KulturImZelt Braunschweig

In the organizer's words:

Festival KulturImZelt 2026

📍 Bürgerpark, Braunschweig

🗓 August 27 - September 27, 2026

- More than 50 shows from the fields of live concerts, readings, cabaret & comedy. -

Including:

Herman van Veen, born on March 14, 1945 in Utrecht, studied at the music conservatory in his home town after leaving school. In 1965, he made his debut in the theater with the solo program "Harlekijn" - a prelude to an international career that has since taken him to stages all over the world.

His work is as extensive as it is multifaceted: around 180 recordings, a comparable number of books and more than two dozen plays testify to his extraordinary artistic productivity. He has also been a successful painter for over a decade. Van Veen is not an artist who can be pinned down to one genre - he moves effortlessly between chanson, folk-pop and jazz as well as between classical music and cabaret.

He has also made a name for himself as an actor and author. His artistic and humanitarian work has received many awards: in 1990 he was awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and in 1991 the Golden Camera for Alfred Jodocus Kwak. In 1993, he was made a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and in the Order of the Netherlands Lion. In 1999, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contribution to German-Dutch understanding.

What distinguishes Herman van Veen to this day is his masterful balance between quiet melancholy and cheerful lightness. Even in his late work, his art retains a childlike, playful energy without ever losing its depth. As a musician, entertainer, writer, actor and clown, he is at home in many worlds - and yet always unmistakably himself.

"It's something of a performance, a total work of art, with six fellow musicians and dancers assisting in disguise. But it always remains highly musical, with Jannemien Cnossen on violin and bass and the great guitarist Edith Leerkes. Daughter Anne van Veden stands at the keyboard and contributes electronic beats." - Frankfurter Rundschau