Nicholas Lens is a Belgian composer of contemporary music, particularly known for his operas. Nicholas Lens was born in Ypres, the legendary little war town near the French boarder in Flanders, Belgium.

He started studying violin with his godfather when he was five.

Later on, while he was studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, he started composing professionally for theatrical projects, film and television. While he was a member of the National Orchestra of Belgium, the conductor Mendi Rodan offered him a contract as a double bass player in the Israel Sinfonietta in Beersheeva, Israel. He had to make an important choice between the career of a professional musician and the uncertain life conditions of an autodidact composer. He made his choice. Meanwhile he was caught by the virus of globetrotting. Inspired by this new passion, adventurous traveling, he started to create a musical oeuvre of the maze of images gathered in his mind.

His work is published by Schott Music and Mute Ltd, his cd’s are distributed by Universal Music and Sony BMG. In December 2020 Nicholas Lens signed with Deutsche Grammophon.

He is living in Brussels and Venezia. He has one daughter, the Berlin-based painter Clara- Lane Lens.