Born in the capital of Greece, Athens, Rene Nikolaou began her music studies at the age of seven. She studied piano with Sophia Garoufalis and gained the Bachelor and Diploma. After that she has attended master classes in Greece and Switzerland with internationally renowned pianists such as Aris Garoufalis, Martino Tirimo and Paul Badura Skoda. She also completes her studies in Music Theory, Harmony and Composition with Christos Anastassiou.

Since 1992 she teaches piano, chamber music and music theory at many conservatoires of Athens, as well as, in Primary and Secondary Education (Music High Schools).

She has composed many works for piano solo (Studies, Valse Lente, Nocturnes, etc.), chamber music, and the work Metachorisis written for symphonic orchestra and choir. ​ She has also composed a children's operetta called The fox became a nun, based on a poem of the significant greek poet George Drosinis, and a collection of “Children's songs” part of which was presented in the ''School’s Choral Festival'' at the Cathedral of Ekatontapiliani at the island of Paros (May 2009). Her works for piano solo Two small canons and Etude No.2 have been awarded with the ''Finalist of the International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition 2010'' and ''Honorable Mention Citation'' respectively at the contest organised by the National Academy of Music, State of Colorado, USA. Additionally, at the same contest, she gained the title “Winner of the International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition 2011” and “ International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition 2011” with the works Unconditional and Little Tangos for Little Pianists. Her works have been presented at the Athens Concert Hall and other theaters of Greece, such as in television and radio. Her book and cd titled Synaesthesia is a collection of works for piano solo and duets for piano and cello published by Cambia Publications.

She's engaged with the film scoring of the movies The Day After, in NIFF ​(International Film Festival of Naoussa, Greece) in September of 2014 and the film "The Face Of The Ash"of the Kurdish director Shakawan Mohammed. She also composes music for theater shows in Athens. With her work Miriam for alto flute, she participates in the cd Gimel (2018) by Phasma Music Foundation and soloist Iwona Glinka.​ The work YRIA - Suite for two guitars, commissioned by ALEA III, is released by the Papagrigoriou-Nakas Editions and was presented at the Faliro Guitar Festival in February 2019 by Alexandra Christodimou and Yiannis Petridis and later at the ALEA III festival, on the island of Naxos (August 2019). In November 2019, Rene Nikolaou participates in the Greek Composers' Workshop organized by the Aristotle University of Greece in collaboration with Thessaloniki's Concert Hall and she presents the trio Into The Deep, a work commissioned by the Organisation for alto saxophone - violin and piano.

Alexandra Christodimou and Yiannis Petridis will perform the work YRIA on their tour in Canada and the United States of America, with a final stop in Boston on April 1, 2020 where they will present it at the ALEA III concert at Berklee College of Music.