Anna Maria van Giersbergen, known artistically as Anneke van Giersbergen, is a Dutch singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. She became internationally known as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the progressive and atmospheric rock band The Gathering, of which she was a member from 1994 to 2007. During this period she recorded seminal albums such as Mandylion (1995) and Nighttime Birds (1997), which defined the band's sound and established her name on the international scene.