Herman van Veen (born 14 March 1945 in Utrecht) is a Dutch singer-songwriter, actor, author, violinist and painter whose career spans six decades. He studied violin and voice at the Utrecht Conservatory and made his theatre debut in 1965 with the solo show 'Harlekijn', blending cabaret, music and clowning in a style inspired by Jacques Brel and Dario Fo. Internationally he is best known as the creator of Alfred J. Kwak - a one-man show from 1976 that became a Dutch-German-Japanese animated series broadcast worldwide in 1989, for which he also wrote the music and voiced several characters. A committed humanitarian, he serves as UNICEF Netherlands ambassador and founded multiple organisations defending children's rights.
Van Veen released 'Achtzig: Live in Lingen', a live album recorded during his 80th-birthday tour.
Van Veen celebrated his 80th birthday with a concert series titled 'Tachtig jaar' in Utrecht and Amsterdam's Carré theatre.
The 'Achtzig' tour took van Veen through Germany, Austria and Switzerland, running until December 2025, with a German-language album released to accompany it.
Van Veen continued touring the Netherlands and Germany into 2026, with dates confirmed through at least mid-year.
Van Veen announced plans for a French-language and an English-language 'best of' album alongside the 80th-birthday tour programme.
in 5 days
Dutch artist Herman van Veen returns to open-air stages in summer 2026, picking up where his acclaimed "Achtzig" tour of 60 German-language concerts left off.
in 6 days
Dutch multi-talented performer Herman van Veen brings music, theatre, and humour to an open-air concert at Park der Gärten. An evening of artistic versatility in a natural setting.
Dutch singer and performer Herman van Veen plays an open-air show at the KulturImZelt festival in Braunschweig.