Antonio Méndez
Jasper Parrott
Federico Hernandez
Sophie Attard
“It is not difficult to guess that the Spanish conductor Antonio Méndez will have a remarkable career…”
(Rhein-Main-Zeitung)
Spanish conductor Antonio Méndez is fast becoming one of the most exciting established and sought-after conductors having created strong links with the most important orchestras in Europe.
Over the last few years, Antonio has already had great success conducting orchestras such as Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony, hr-Sinfonieorchester and Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg.
In 2017/2018, he will be touring with Staatskapelle Weimar in Spain and for the second time with the Spanish National Orchestra in South Korea. The season will also include his debut with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Mannheim Akademie and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. He returns to the Spanish National and Seoul Philharmonic orchestras, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, and Bremer Philharmoniker.
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Last season, Antonio returned to the Wiener Symphoniker (at Bregenz Festival), Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich, and Spanish National Orchestra. He debuted with Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Antwerp Symphony and Bournemouth Symphony orchestras and Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife amongst others.
Highlights of recent seasons include acclaimed debuts with the Wiener Symphoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich, BBC Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Kammerakademie Potsdam, National Philharmonic of Russia and New Japan Philharmonic.
Antonio’s recent recording with the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, on SWR Music (for Berlin Classics) has been recently awarded with an Echo Klassik Award. He has also recorded with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for Linn Records.
He attracted international attention as a prize winner at the prestigious 2012 Malko Competition in Copenhagen, and later as a finalist at the 2013 Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award.
Born in 1984 in Palma de Mallorca, Antonio began his musical studies at the Conservatori Professional de Música de Mallorca in piano and violin. He also attended the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid to study composition and conducting. Since 2007 he has been living in Germany, where he completed his conductor training at the Universität der Künste Berlin with Professor Lutz Köhler, also as a member of the Dirigentenforum (‘Conductor’s Forum’ from the German Music Council) and at the Hochschule für Musik ‘Franz Liszt’ Weimar with Professor Nicolás Pasquet.
“Méndez’s interpretation was round, but at the same time well organised, with an extremely generous Orquestra Nacional in the tutti and orchestral climaxes.”
“Right from the beginning he underlined the vehement tutti sounds and the swirling string passages, but on the other side shaped softly and sensitively the vocal parts.”
“Méndez, a most animated conductor, drew a reading that blended supercharged thrills in the more bombastic, quasi-military episodes with their tumultuous brass fanfares with brooding introspection in the darker overtones of the opening movement and exquisite, romantic lyricism in the lovely Adagio third movement.”
“Antonio Méndez conducted Ravel’s two Suites, carefully crafting the colour nuances, balancing instruments in order to create this volatile atmosphere, but without giving into the temptation of focusing only on sound and neglecting the rhythm that is specific to this piece, originally conceived as a ballet.”
Jasper Parrott
Federico Hernandez
Sophie Attard
