Anneke van Giersbergen

Anna Maria “Anneke” van Giersbergen (born March 8, 1973) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. She became internationally known as the lead singer and principal songwriter of the progressive and atmospheric rock band The Gathering, of which she was a member from 1994 to 2007, a period during which she recorded landmark albums such as Mandylion (1995) and Nighttime Birds (1997).

After leaving the band, she pursued a solo career, first under the name Agua de Annique and then, from 2012 onward, under her own name, and also formed the bands The Gentle Storm (2015) and VUUR (2017). She is recognized for her wide vocal range and stylistic versatility, spanning atmospheric rock, progressive metal, folk, and acoustic pop.

A regular collaborator of Arjen Anthony Lucassen and Devin Townsend, she has also worked with Within Temptation, Anathema, Amorphis, Napalm Death, Moonspell, Novembers Doom, Globus, Lawn, Farmer Boys, and Giant Squid. In 2019, she received the Buma ROCKS! Export Award, given by the Dutch organization Buma Cultuur to the Dutch artist with the greatest international presence in heavy music. In 2025, the original Mandylion lineup of The Gathering reunited for a series of concerts marking the album's 30th anniversary, followed in 2026 by a world tour of festivals and venues across Europe, North America, and South America.