René Mense was born in Hamburg on February 22, 1969.
He started receiving guitar tuition at the age of 11 and commenced piano lessons one year later. His first original compositions also date back to this time.

At the age of 16, Mense decided to make composing his career.

After leaving school, he attended the College of Music and Theater in Hamburg, where he studied composition and musicology with Ulrich Leyendecker. Since graduating, he has been working as a freelance composer. As well as this, Mense has been working with Peer Musikverlag in Hamburg as an arranger since 1989.

His compositions initially focused on chamber music for a wide range of different instruments. More recently, he has been concentrating on more expansive works for large ensemble and symphony orchestra and on 'geistliche' music.

In spring 2001, he received the first prize in the prestigious 'Toru Takemitsu Composition Award' in Tokyo as the first German finalist for “Gebilde-Gegenbild” composed in 1999.
This award was followed by a commissioned composition for Hamburg-based broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk for the 'das neue werk' series: 'Child of Ocean' based on Percy Shelley´s 'Prometheus Unbound' for voice, flute, cello and piano.

Recently, his work “Partage” was premiered in Amsterdam by the renowned Asko Ensemble and performed in the UK for the first time in London by the London Sinfonietta, conducted in both cases by Oliver Knussen.

In spring 2004, his piece 'A Creature Divided', three poems by Elizabeth Bishop scored for high soprano and four instruments, was given the second prize in the competition of the 'Frühjahrstage für zeitgenössische Musik' in Weimar (Thurangia).

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