Michiel René started his vocal studies in the Netherlands while he was studying Dutch Civil Law. After graduating from Tilburg University in September 2003, he continued his vocal studies in private to accommodate his work as a lawyer.
In 2010 Michiel René attended a masterclass by Dutch Soprano Miranda van Kralingen and in the same year he reached the finals of the classical singing competition ‘Una Voce Particolare’ (On The Street Where You Live).
"My passion for opera began at the age of 18, when I saw a tribute concert to Andrew Lloyd Webber on TV. "Memories" from the musical Cats was sung by soprano Kiri te Kanawa and I was enchanted. From that moment on, opera became part of my life."
"I would like to contribute to this beautiful type of music, to ensure that this art is not lost. There should not be any obstacles for people to listen to opera. My driving force is removing such obstacles."