René Jacobs (Countertenor)
Born: 30th October 1946, Ghent, Belgium
Nationality: Belgian
René Jacobs (born October 30, 1946) is a Belgian (Flemish) musician. He came to fame as a countertenor but in recent years has become renowned as a conductor of Baroque and early Classical opera.
Jacobs was born in Ghent. As a child, he was a chorister at the Cathedral of Ghent. Later he studied classical philology at the University of Gent while continuing to sing in Brussels and in the Hague.
As a conductor, Jacobs regularly works with orchestras and ensembles such as the Concerto Köln, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin, Nederlands Kamerkoor and Rias-Kammerchor for recordings and concert tours, performing sacred music and oratorios.