René Kollo was born in 1937 in Berlin into a family with a musical background and initially trained in photography and acting before vocal talent was recognized by teacher Elsa Varena; he began performing in jazz clubs in the mid-1950s before turning to opera, making his operatic debut in 1965 in Braunschweig in works by Stravinsky. He became closely associated with Wagnerian Heldentenor roles beginning at the Bayreuth Festival in 1969.

Kollo became one of the leading Wagner tenors of his generation, singing major roles including Siegfried, Parsifal, Tristan, and Lohengrin at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and other major houses, with acclaimed recordings under conductors including Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and Carlos Kleiber. He later also worked as a stage director and continued performing until his retirement from singing in 2013.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Kollo