Dutch soprano Francine van der Heijden studied in Maastricht, The Hague and London. As a soloist she has made recordings with conductors such as Peter Eötvös, Ed Spanjaard, Ton Koopman and Oleg Caetani. She also has performed with orchestras such as the Radio Kamerorkest, the Nederlands Kamerorkest, the European Symfonietta, the Schönberg Ensemble and the Robert Schumann Philharmonie. She sang Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo, conducted by Christian Zacharias in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Sylvia in Haydn’s L’Isola disabitata, conducted by Frans Brüggen.

Francine van der Heijden received great acclaim because of her contributions to a series of Mozart's lesser known opera's. Her interpretation of Aspasia in Mitridate was received exceptionally warmheartedly.  In 2006 she covered the part of Aspasia in the International Festival of Music in Granada.

Francine had the great honour to sing "Agnus Dei" from Mozart's Requiem and "Tebye poyem" from Rachmaninov during the funeral ceremony of H.R.H. Prince Claus of The Netherlands, husband of H.M. Queen Beatrix, in the ancient city of Delft.