Juanjo Mena

Mena was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country, where he began his music studies at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Conservatory. He later attended the Madrid Royal Conservatory, where his teachers included Carmelo Bernaola (composition and orchestration) and Enrique García Asensio (conducting). He also studied conducting with Sergiu Celibidache in Munich on a Guridi-Bernaola scholarship. In 1997, the Basque Government selected Mena to form the Youth Orchestra of Euskal Herria. He subsequently became associate conductor of the Euskadi Symphony Orchestra.

From 1999 to 2008, Mena was artistic director and principal conductor of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. With the Bilbao orchestra, he conducted commercial recordings for Naxos Records of music by Jesús Guridi and Andrés Isasi. His guest-conducting debut in North America was with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2004.{{cite press release | title=Audience Favorite Juanjo Mena Leads Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Nielsen's "The Inextinguishable," April 15, 17 & 18 | url=http://www.bsomusic.org/res/pdfs/pressroom/musicwithmena10.pdf | publisher=Baltimore Symphony | date=9 March 2010 | accessdate=2010-07-24 | archive-date=17 July 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717174431/http://www.bsomusic.org/res/pdfs/pressroom/musicwithmena10.pdf | url-status=dead }} Mena served as principal guest conductor of the Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa from 2007 to 2010. He was principal guest conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra from 2007 to 2013.{{cite press release | title=Edward Gardner ny sjefdirigent for Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester | url=http://www.harmonien.no/default.aspx?pageid=209 | publisher=Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra | date=18 February 2013 | accessdate=28 February 2013}}

In July 2010, the BBC Philharmonic announced the appointment of Mena as its ninth chief conductor, effective with the 2011–2012 season, with an initial contract of three years, leading twelve concerts per year.{{cite press release | title=BBC Philharmonic announces new chief conductor | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/07_july/06/philharmonic.shtml | publisher=BBC | date=6 July 2010 | accessdate=2010-07-24}}{{cite news | url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/juanjo-mena-named-chief-conductor-of-the-bbc-philharmonic | title=Juanjo Mena named chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic | work=Gramophone | date=July 2010 | accessdate=2010-07-24}} Mena directed the BBC Philharmonic in four concerts prior to his appointment.{{cite news | url=http://www.elcorreo.com/alava/v/20100707/cultura/filarmonica-nombra-juanjo-mena-20100707.html | title=La Filarmónica de la BBC nombra a Juanjo Mena su director titular | work=El Correo | author=Íñigo Gurruchaga | date=2010-07-07 | accessdate=2010-07-24}} In 2013, Mena extended his contract with the BBC Philharmonic for an additional 3 years. He concluded his tenure as chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic in the summer of 2018.{{cite news | author=Maria Roberts | title=BBC Philharmonic announces new principal guest conductor | url=http://www.internationalartsmanager.com/news/music/bbc-philharmonic-announces-new-principal-guest-conductor.html | work=International Arts Manager | date=2017-01-31 | accessdate=2010-07-09 | archive-date=19 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219151615/http://www.internationalartsmanager.com/news/music/bbc-philharmonic-announces-new-principal-guest-conductor.html | url-status=dead }} Mena and the BBC Philharmonic have commercially recorded music of Gabriel Pierné,{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/06/pierne-ramuntcho-bbc-philharmonic-review | title=Pierné: Piano Concerto; Ramuntcho Suites Nos 1 & 2; etc – review | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2011-01-06 | accessdate=2011-09-03}} Manuel de Falla,{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/23/falla-bbcpo-mena-cd-review | title=Falla: The Three Cornered Hat; Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Homenajes – review; Bavouzet/Lojendio/BBCPO/Mena (Chandos) | work=The Guardian | author=Andrew Clements | date=2012-02-23 | accessdate=2014-01-07}} and of Xavier Montsalvatge{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/13/montsalvatge-mouriz-bbc-philharmonic-review | title=Montsalvatge: Calidoscopi Simfònic; Simfonia de Rèquiem/Partita 1958/Cinco Canciones Negras – review; Hughes/Mouriz/BBC Philharmonic/Mena (Chandos) | work=The Guardian | author=Tim Ashley | date=2012-09-13 | accessdate=2014-01-07}} for the Chandos label.

In 2016, the Orquesta Nacional de España named Mena its new 'Director Asociado' (principal guest conductor).{{cite news | author=Alberto Ojeda | title=Juanjo Mena: 'De secundaria debe salirse leyendo partituras' | url=http://www.elcultural.com/revista/escenarios/Juanjo-Mena-De-secundaria-debe-salirse-leyendo-partituras/38083 | work=El Cultural | date=2016-05-13 | accessdate=2017-07-09}} In October 2016, the Cincinnati May Festival announced the appointment of Mena as its new principal conductor, effective with the 2017–2018 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.{{cite news | author=Janelle Gelfand | title=New conductor for May Festival | url=http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2016/10/21/mena-means-new-era-may-festival/92289106/ | work=The Cincinnati Enquirer| date=2016-10-21 | accessdate=2017-07-09}} Mena stood down as principal conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival in 2023.{{cite press release | url=https://mayfestival.com/about/program-book/may-festival-2023/celebrating-juanjo-mena/ | title=Celebrating Juanjo Mena | publisher=Cincinnati May Festival | date=May 2023 | access-date=2024-01-13}}

Mena and his wife Noemi have two children. In January 2017, Mena was awarded the Medalla de Oro de Álava.{{cite news | title=El director de orquesta Juanjo Mena recibirá la Medalla de Oro de Álava | url=http://www.elmundo.es/pais-vasco/2017/01/17/587dff8046163f1b1b8b45f8.html | work=El Mundo | date=2017-01-17 | accessdate=2017-07-09}} In January 2025, Mena announced via social media his diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease.{{cite news | author=Luciana Godoy | title=Juanjo Mena tiene Alzheimer: El legado del director de orquesta español | url=https://www.la-peninsula.es/espana/2025/01/24/juanjo-mena-tiene-alzheimer-el-legado-del-director-de-orquesta-espanol/ | work=La Península | date=2025-01-24 | access-date=2025-01-27}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://juanjomena.com/en/ Official Juanjo Mena homepage, English-language link]
• [https://imgartists.com/roster/juanjo-mena/ IMG Artists profile of Juanjo Mena]
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/2010/07/juanjo-named-bbc-philharmonic.shtml Richard Wigley, BBC Radio 3 Blog page on appointment of Mena as chief conductor]
• [http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8797 ClassicsToday.com review of Naxos CD 8.557631]
• [http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=6647 ClassicsToday.com review of Naxos CD 8.557110]
• [http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8240 ClassicsToday.com review of Naxos CD 8.557584]

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{{succession box | title=Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra | before=Theo Alcántara | years=1999–2008 | after=Günter Neuhold}}

{{succession box | title=Chief Conductor, BBC Philharmonic | before=Gianandrea Noseda | years=2011–2018 | after=Omer Meir Wellber}}

{{succession box | title=Principal Conductor, Cincinnati May Festival | before=James Conlon | years=2017–2023 | after=(no successor)}}

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Category:1965 births

Category:Living people

Category:Spanish male conductors (music)

Category:Basque classical musicians

Category:People from Vitoria-Gasteiz

Category:Spanish expatriates in the United Kingdom

Category:21st-century Spanish conductors (music)

Category:21st-century Spanish male musicians

Category:20th-century Spanish conductors (music)

Category:20th-century Spanish male musicians

Category:Principal conductors of the BBC Philharmonic