Hein Meens

Meens studied piano and voice at the Maastricht conservatory until 1975. Already in 1972, while still a student, he began his career as a concert tenor; for many years, he was a noted Bach Evangelist.

But over the years, he focused more and more on opera. He made his debut in 1978 as Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro; soon, he sang main roles from Monteverdi to contemporary opera, including Don Ottavio, Belmonte, Lenskij or Albert Herring, for instance – very often in Enschede, but also in Amsterdam, Maastricht and with the touring Nederlandse Reisopera. Guest appearances in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York or Bratislava.

Meens was also a conductor, and a voice teacher. The color of his voice was very unusual, almost like a countertenor.