Herman van Veen (1945) grew up in Utrecht, where he also attended the conservatory. In 1965 he made his theater debut with the solo program ‘Harlekijn‘ (‘Harlequin’, “Nobody’s servant, nobody’s boss). Since then, he has traveled the world with his performances. Hitherto van Veen has released more than one hundred and eighty CDs, approximately eighty books and produced about five hundred paintings. For both his artistic work and his commitment to projects pertaining to peace building, safety, and connectedness, he has received numerous awards. To mention but a few: Herman is the bearer of the Verdienstkreuz am Band des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, he is a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau as well as a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion. Furthermore, van Veen holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Free University of Brussels. He received the Planetary Consciousness Award from the Club of Budapest and in France Le Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros de Littérature Musicale. In Cuxhaven Germany, June 2021, he was awarded the Joachim Ringelnatz Literatur Preis. Herman is father of four children, the grandfather of three grandchildren and stepfather of the orphaned duck Alfred Jodocus Kwak and Anne de Poes.