Biography

Oukje den Hollander (1988) is a graduate from the highly prestigious Singer/Performer master program of the Amsterdam School of Theatre, a partnership between the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam School of Theatre. She graduated in 2015, with a solo production called ZELFZUCHT which she performed several times at the renowned theatre venue Frascati in Amsterdam.

Previous to her master program, she also lived in Berlin for a year to study with the German mezzo-soprano Gundula Hintz and graduated from the Royal Conservatorium The Hague in Classical Singing in 2013. Her applauded solo graduation performance ARIA VAN EEN ANGSTHAAS was also shown at Opera Days Rotterdam, Zwerfklank Festival Amsterdam and in the theatre venue Compagnietheater Amsterdam.

Theatre reviewer Theaterkrant.nl assigned ARIA VAN EEN ANGSTHAAS with 4 out of 5 stars, stating that “it seems like private matters but Den Hollander manages to give them universal meaning through both strong use of her emotionality while maintaining her sense of humor (…) Also it should not be neglected that, next to her theatre performance, her appearance as singer generates nothing but highlights (…) Her version of Brel’s ‘La Chanson des Vieux Amants’ is unprecedented and touching.” (Kester Freriks, Theaterkrant.nl)

Oukje was also part of the show SPRAAKWATER, produced by the Belgium theatre company de Queeste and directed by Frank Siera, and the music-theatre show PEPTALKS which was directed by Anthony Heidweiller and performed at the renowned theatre festival De Parade. Furthermore, she sang the part of Desdemona in an edited version of Verdi’s OTELLO, directed by Benji Reid (Manchester, UK) and produced by Likeminds Amsterdam. Besides, Oukje participated in the project BOOM! as part of The Dutch Opera. Recently she performed in the theatre production TULPMANIA of De Veenfabriek in partnership with the Dutch percussion ensemble Slagwerk Den Haag and the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble (music by Yannis Kyriakides, script by Saskia de Jong). Together with writer and director Frank Siera and producer Selma Hanzon, she founded the music theatre collective KASSETT, which has been given a grand for the period ’17-’19 by Fonds Podiumkunsten.

She has been on pop stages both in the Netherlands and abroad while touring with THE KYTEMAN ORCHESTRA, such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Moscow. Other musical performances Oukje realized with the music trio MANNEKIJN, consisting of the pianist Vera Marijt, the violinist Camilla van der Kooij and Oukje herself. Oukje will be seen next in the show SHAFFY CHANTANT in Felix Meritis, Amsterdam.