Jard van Nes started her studies in her native country in the Hague and developed from a contralto to a mezzo soprano. In doing so she became one of the foremost singers in her generation both in the Netherlands and abroad. She is a laureate of the IVC of 1978. Jard van Nes is a concert, oratorio and Lieder singer who also appears in opera. She is most renowned for her Mahler interpretations. Conductors with whom Jard van Nes has worked include Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Riccardo Chailly, Reinbert de Leeuw, Bernard Haitink, , Georg Solti and Edo de Waart. She now devotes her time to teaching.