Arnold van Dongen started his career as a guitarist with the band Loïs Lane, while still studying at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. After that, he became a much sought-after session musician, working with great Dutch artists and acts including Ilse DeLange, Total Touch, Mathilde Santing, Peter Cetera (Chicago), Nik Kershaw and Mark King (Level 42. He also collaborates on a number of other projects, such as the programme Made in Holland, involving forty vocalists and instrumentalists from abroad who live in the Netherlands, and concerts with Trijntje Oosterhuis, René Froger and Julya Lo’ko. He can be heard on CD recordings by Edsilia Rombley, Danny Vera and Glennis Grace. In 2011 he joined the band of the TV programme Comedy Live.
He is currently active as a musician with Ilse de Lange, Night of the Proms (Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra), his own band Wij van September, and Mathilde Santing.
As a teacher, he teaches guitar as a principal and subsidiary subject and coaches Style and Freestyle bands. He also mentors students from various years.