News

A spectacular end to the year for Juanjo Mena, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Spanish National Orchestra and Madrid Symphony Orchestra

This week Juanjo Mena embarks on a brilliant and tightly-packed schedule which will run until January 2015, and will include concerts with two of the most prestigious North American ensembles, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, and other orchestras with which he is closely associated, such as the BBC Philharmonic, of which he is Chief Conductor, the Spanish National Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.

Praise for Juanjo Mena’s debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

“This was the best all-French concert I have heard for a long time…..
I can’t think of a more sympathetic/enthusiastic conductor for this music than Juanjo Mena. His sense of orchestral balance was superb, as was his care over, among other things, dynamics, colouration, and rhythmic/lyrical contrast.” (Geoff Diggings, Seen and Heard International)
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“The music glinted and sparkled as it made its inevitable, quicksilver progress…. This was a highly successful LPO debut for Juanjo Mena, a partnership that hopefully will continue, for it has great potential.”
(Alan Sanders, Classical Source)
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“Thrilling French fare from the LPO and Juanjo Mena”
(Katy Wright, Bachtrack)

A standing ovation for Beethoven at The Bridgewater Hall

“It is difficult to remember having enjoyed a performance of the Fourth as much as this” (Rohan Shotton, Bachtrack)

“The final pages of the symphony were moving into the realm of the ecstatic, and rightly earned that huge reception.” (Robert Beale, Manchester Evening News)

“Exhilarating and transparent Choral Symphony from the BBC Philharmonic” (Michael Cookson, Seen and Heard International)

Juanjo Mena to conduct two concerts at the BBC Proms

Juanjo Mena will lead the BBC Philharmonic in two concerts during this season’s prestigious BBC Proms festival at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The works will include Elgar’s evocative ‘Enigma’ Variations and Mahler’s mighty Fifth Symphony. For more information, click here.

Juanjo Mena embarks on European tour with the BBC Philharmonic this weekend

Juanjo Mena, Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, is to begin a tour with the orchestra on 15th March, with a series of eleven performances to be given in the most important concert halls in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. The programmes will include symphonies by Mendelssohn, Dvorák and Bruckner and percussion concertos, including HK Gruber’s “Rough Music”, with Martin Grubinger.

Scaling the Alpine: 5* review of Strauss with the BBC Philharmonic and the Hallé in Manchester

The Guardian

“Mena’s handling of the work’s grand arc from dawn to dusk was majestic… the fine detail had the intense glitter of water droplets within the profound buffeting delivered by this incredible, pan-Mancunian meta-band.”

The Arts Desk

“Mena’s conducting was expansive and expressive, showing admirable control and majestic pacing.”

Seen and Heard International

“Under Juanjo Mena the performance of ‘An Alpine Symphony’ was a simply stunning experience. The whole concert was something special and will live long in the memory.”

Reviews: BBC Philharmonic, The Bridgewater Hall

Artsdesk:

“Mena directed with unfailing energy at the end of a busy night and the orchestra responded superbly…. All credit to the Phil: this was an imaginative, action-packed, exhausting, but thoroughly engaging and enlightening programme.”

The Guardian:

“Mena seemed infinitely alert to its mix of relentless energy and sensuality, while the dexterous clarity of the playing was persuasive in the extreme.”

Review: Oslo Philharmonic

“ It was the Spanish conductor and frequent visitor to the Oslo Philharmonic Juanjo Mena who added colour to tonight’s concert…. In Schubert’s great C major Symphony, we experienced just what gives the Symphony its nickname, namely ‘the great’ ”