Carla Van Zon: key obituary facts
Is Carla Van Zon dead? Yes. Carla Van Zon died on April 29, 2026, at age 74.
Cause of death: Carla Van Zon's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Carla Van Zon known for?
She was known as New Zealand artistic director (1952–2026).
More about Carla Van Zon
Born: 20 January 1952.
Place of birth: Te Atatū Peninsula.
Gender: female.
Nationality: New Zealand.
Education: George Washington University, University of Otago.
Employer: Auckland Festival, Creative New Zealand.
Awards: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, NEXT Woman of the Year: Arts & Culture, honorary doctor of the University of Otago.
Also known as: Carla Marja Olga Van Zon, Carla van Zon, Carla Marja Olga van Zon.
Carla Van Zon, a New Zealand artistic director, died on April 29, 2026, aged 74.
Born Carla Marja Olga van Zon in Te Atatū on January 20, 1952, she worked on international opportunities for New Zealand artists at Creative New Zealand before becoming artistic director of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts in Wellington in 1996. From 2013, she served as artistic director of the Auckland Arts Festival, where she commissioned works including the opera The Bone Feeder.
Van Zon retired from the Auckland Arts Festival in 2017 after being diagnosed with kidney disease in 2016. She received an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, the NEXT Woman of the Year: Arts & Culture award, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Otago.
Carla Marja Olga van Zon ONZM (20 January 1952 – 29 April 2026) was a New Zealand artistic director. She worked on international opportunities for New Zealand artists at Creative New Zealand, before becoming artistic director of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts in Wellington in 1996. From 2013 she was the artistic director of the Auckland Arts Festival, where she was responsible for commissioning works such as the opera The Bone Feeder. Van Zon was responsible for supporting the careers of many New Zealand artists. She retired from the Auckland Arts Festival in 2017, following a diagnosis of kidney disease in 2016.