Robert Westerholt

Robert Westerholt (born January 2, 1975, Waddinxveen) is the founder of, and guitarist in, the symphonic metal band Within Temptation. He writes a great deal of the music for the band, along with the band's vocalist, his girlfriend, Sharon den Adel. The two became parents to baby Eva Luna on December 7, 2005.

Robert and girlfriend Sharon were members of another band Voyage before founding Within Temptation along with band members Ruud Adrianus Jolie, Jeroen van Veen, Stephen van Haestregt and Martijn Spierenburg.

In 1998, he had a small singing part as Death (along with George Oosthoek of Orphanage) on the Ayreon rock opera Into the Electric Castle, on which Sharon den Adel played one of the main characters.

Before committing his life to Within Temptation, Robert worked in human resource management, but left to devote his life to creating music.

References

[http://www.metal-ways.com/163/13/interview-within-temptation-appelpop-tiel.html Interview with Robert Westerholt (September 2008 @ Appelpop Festival)]