Ivar de Graaf

Ivar de Graaf
Birth name	Ivar de Graaf
Born	August 20, 1973 (1973-08-20)
Origin	Amsterdam, North Holland
Genres	Symphonic metal, symphonic rock
Occupations	Drummer, composer, arranger
Instruments	Drums, percussion
Years active	1990 -present
Labels	Suburban Records, Roadrunner Records, DSFA Records, GUN Records
Associated acts	Kingfisher Sky, Within Temptation
Website	www.kingfishersky.nl

Ivar de Graaf (Amsterdam, 20 August 1973) is the founder and drummer of the Dutch progressive metal band Kingfisher Sky, but best known as the former drummer of successful the Dutch rock/metal band Within Temptation.

Early career

Ivar de Graaf began playing drums at the age of 11. De Graaf followed education at the Haags Montessori Lyceum at The Hague was taught to play drums by Charles Schouten who has been the drummer for Kayak for a short period of time. On the HMP he frequently performed with Edo van de Kolk and Michiel Parqui around 1990.

Within Temptation

He was asked as the drummer for Within Temptation 1996, at that the time the band was relatively unknown and began working on their first studio album. De Graaf was credited as the drummer on the Within Temptation albums Enter and as well on their breakthrough album Mother Earth.

In 2002 just before the German tour in which followed the band to its international breakthrough, he left Within Temptation. This was for musical reasons, he wanted to play more various and challenging drum fills instead of the more similar he experienced in Within Temptation, and develop himself more as a composer an arranger. He was replaced by Stephen van Haestregt

De Graaf has performed with Within Temptation a few more times after his departure. He filled in as a substitute at times when van Haestregt was unavailable, and at the Java Concert in Amsterdam 2005 he took on stage with other former Within Temptation band members and performed a couple of songs.

Kingfisher Sky

De Graaf is married to singer Judith Rijnveld. Together they worked for three years on a demo which led to the formation of Kingfisher Sky. The first studio album has been released: Hallway of dreams

Preceded by Dennis Leeflang	Drummer for Within Temptation 1996–1998	Succeeded by Ciro Palma
Preceded by Ciro Palma	Drummer for Within Temptation 1999–2001	Succeeded by Stephen van Haestregt
New title	Drummer for Kingfisher Sky since 2001	Incumbent