In May 2018, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN performed two career-spanning concerts with orchestral arrangements together with Residentie Orkest The Hague. Now those special concerts will be available for all to hear when they are released as ‘Symphonized’, an 11-track live album due out on the 16th November 2018. Now she is pleased to launch the first track taken from the live album, and you can listen to ‘Your Glorious Light Will Shine – Helsinki’, originally from VUUR’s debut album, here: 

Anneke comments: “Instead of releasing a ‘best of’ collection to celebrate my 25 years on stage, an album with orchestral reinterpretations seemed much more interesting. Two songs of my new progressive metal band VUUR received wonderful orchestral arrangements as well. I was very surprised how much of the intensity and energy of VUUR’s heavy music is still present. Performing my music with an orchestra has been such an overwhelming experience. I am really happy both concerts were recorded and there is a chance to relive them with this live album.”

Taking in material from across her career, she performs stunning versions of songs by VUUR, The Gentle Storm and The Gathering as well as solo material. Anneke comments: “‘Symphonized’ was recorded last May in Dutch venues 013 (Tilburg) and Paard (The Hague), as I performed alongside the wonderful Residentie Orkest The Hague conducted by Arjan Tien. The orchestra is one of the leading Dutch symphony orchestras and regularly initiates cross-over projects. When artistic director Sven Arne Tepl invited me to create new renditions of songs I have previously recorded, I was immediately enthusiastic. I thought it was the perfect prelude to my 25-year anniversary next year, as I made my stage debut with The Gathering in 1994. The compelling arrangements were written by Marijn van Prooijen and Gijs Kramers. Instead of a band with additional symphonic accompaniment we chose to solely use the instruments of the orchestra and I’m very proud of the result!”

The album will be available as CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD & as digital audio download. Pre-order now here: https://annekevangiersbergen.lnk.to/Symphonized

Tracklisting: 1. Feel Alive 2. Amity (originally released by The Gathering) 3. Your Glorious Light Will Shine – Helsinki (originally released by VUUR) 4. Two Souls (originally released by Lorrainville) 5. When I Am laid In Earth (aria by Henry Purcell) 6. Travel (originally released by The Gathering) 7. Zo Lief (unreleased song in Dutch) 8. You Will Never Change 9. Freedom – Rio (originally released by VUUR) 10. Forgotten (originally released by The Gathering) 11. Shores Of India (originally released by The Gentle Storm)

Dutch vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen is easily one of the hardest working people in music, and an artist that defies being pigeonholed by genre. She will forever be known as the vocalist for melancholic metallers The Gathering, but since striking out on her own in 2007, she has solidified a solo career, recorded and performed multiple times with Canadian metal genius Devin Townsend, and lent her honey-sweet, yet powerful voice to the likes of Anathema, Icelandic folk group Árstíðir, Within Temptation, Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, Moonspell, John Wetton and Napalm Death.

Residentie Orkest The Hague was founded by its first principal conductor Henri Viotta in 1904 and quickly attracted composers like Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel. The orchestra’s reputation as one of the finest orchestras in Europe makes it an appropriate figurehead for Dutch city The Hague as a cosmopolitan place of justice, peace, and culture.

Having proven her credentials and immense vocal talent for 13 years as front woman of The Gathering, in 2007 Anneke van Giersbergen felt it was time to begin her own solo career. Along with her new band Agua de Annique the charismatic singer quickly established herself as a solo artist, releasing several albums to critical and popular acclaim.

2012’s ‘Everything is Changing’ was something of a milestone in Anneke’s solo career. The album, which was the first to be released under her own name got her nominated for two Edison awards – Holland’s most prestigious music prize – in the categories ‘Best Female Artist’ and ‘Best Album’.

On March 20 2015, Anneke van Giersbergen and Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) released their collaborative album ‘The Diary’ under the name The Gentle Storm.

Anneke’s new progressive metal band VUUR released their much-anticipated debut album ‘In This Moment We Are Free – Cities’ on October 20 2017. The album entered the Dutch Album Top 100 at number 2, Van Giersbergen’s highest-ever chart position. Watch the bands video for ‘My Champion – Berlin’ here: