Baritone and director Arnout Lems graduated in 2002 from the Royal Conservatory with guidance of Sasja Hunnego, Diane Forlano and Christina Deutekom. The same year, Arnout graduated in Metz Udo Reinemann. He is currently being coached by Ronald Klekamp. Arnout Lems has built up considerable expertise in both contemporary and Renaissance music. He has performed in the past with Cappella Pratensis and the Egidius Quartet. Now he focuses on opera and contemporary music theater. Arnout has worked with the ensemble Silbersee (formerly VocaalLAB), Noord-Nederlands Orkest, Orkest De Volharding, Cobla La Principal d'Amsterdam, the Doelenensemble, Klangart Berlin, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, ICTUS Ensemble Brussels, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart and Dutch. Bach ensemble.
Arnout sang in a series of contemporary and 20th-century operas, including Curlew River by Benjamin Britten (Muziektheater Hollands Diep), Autland by Sergej Newski (Ruhrtriennale 2009), De Waterman by Hans Koolmees (title role) and with Holland Opera in Blauwbaard, Dido ile Aeneas and in the children's opera Suikertantes (2014-2015). In addition, he worked with Muziektheater Transparant in Antwerp, Festspielhaus Hellerau in Dresden and Hezarfen Ensemble Istanbul. He worked with famous opera directors such as Pierre Audi and Willy Decker. In India he sang the title role in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo. He made his directorial debut with Monteverdish, a confrontation of Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea with hip-hop, through crossover by dance theater ISH and VocaalLAB. This performance was very positively received in the press. His direction of Les Anges, a performance by VocaalLAB around John Cage and Erik Satie, received the same response. Arnout was involved as music director with DJ Mozart, the second collaboration between VocaalLAB/ Silbersee and ISH. In the spring of 2015, Arnout directed Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with the Opera in the Theater Foundation, a project sung by conservatory students and professionals.