Hans-Willem de Haan

1.    How and when did you start working at Dutch National Opera & Ballet (description schooling / career)?
I was asked to apply for the position of head of Audio & Video 25 years ago, after which I joined Dutch National Opera & Ballet (DNO&B) in 1998. Prior to that, I had spent 12.5 years touring internationally as a sound engineer and musician. I then used this experience when I joined a leading sound and lighting company based in Amsterdam, where I worked for nine years, providing sound production for large-scale events.

2.    What makes your craft / job so special within DNO&B and what makes it so special to yourself?
I was fortunate enough to be involved in the development of this department: from a sound and video engineering department that only worked on performances, to one that currently also runs DNO&B’s own radio and TV broadcasts. Multimedia have become a large part of our output.

3.     What is your favorite production seen from your craft’s / job’s perspective? Do you have any special memories of that production?
The opera Die Soldaten is a production I am very proud of. It is a title that many opera houses do not dare to program because its audio is so complicated. The employees of the audio, video and media department who worked on Die Soldaten did an extraordinary job.

Last update: 04-10-2022.