A Personal Message from Juanjo Mena:
Dear friends,
As you may remember, over a year ago I shared with you some news regarding my health. Tests carried out a few months beforehand revealed that I was beginning to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Using a musical simile, I already knew then that of all the scores I had conducted so far, this part was going to be the most difficult to perform.
And I have been proven right. The illness has progressed since I made that announcement, and it has affected me. My situation is different than it was a year ago and it calls for some important decisions to be made. I now feel that the time has come to say goodbye to my work on the podium. Every score has an ending, and the final bars of this one have been written. This year’s concerts will be the last I conduct. This decision was a difficult one to make, as you can imagine, but one I have considered carefully and wanted to share with you today [March 13].
One more thing. I would like to take the opportunity and turn my upcoming farewell concerts into an expression of gratitude and above all, a celebration. My conducting career has spanned forty wonderful years, and I have a lot to be thankful for. First and foremost, to my family, for their continuous support and infinite patience with me. And secondly, to all of you who have supported me: the public, every orchestra, and each and every one of the musicians and people with whom I have had the honour and pleasure of working. These will be some of my favourite memories: making good music together and having a great time doing it.
And finally, I would like to make a request. As I have always said, music is an exchange of energy, an intangible mysterious current flowing back and forth between musicians and listeners. Let’s make every concert a true celebration with music at the heart of it; music as the reason for people to gather in solidarity and friendship.
Until next time,
Juanjo Mena
Mo. Mena will continue to conduct select performances including the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra on March 21 and 22 featuring Schubert’s Great Symphony.
Beethoven Seven. BBC Philharmonic @ BBC Proms 2013.
November 2024.
An Albéniz album for Chandos with BBC Philharmonic and Martin Roscoe (pf)…
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=-VchoGjRREs&list=OLAK5uy_n59PX_-ESXbriwY6AnsL0l9qnwZsPWXSs
BBC Proms undated. Mena recorded an excellent Bruckner Six for Chandos…
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2020221
I am so sad to hear this. Mena was the conductor for John’s very last orchestral work, Joybox (which was also, as it happens his very first Proms orchestral commission). Mena was so nice and made a tremendous excursion down from the stage and across the arena, climbing over the barrier and ascending the stalls stairs to congratulate John, who could not take the applause on stage because he was confined to a wheelchair. Mena then of course had to return the same way to conduct the next item. I have never forgotten this wonderful and generous gesture on Mena’s part. Life is very cruel and my thoughts go out to Juanjo Mena.
Hi Monica, here is the premiere of Joybox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx-VAFYH4OE
Best, Colin
I warmly agree, Monica. My path crossed with Juanjo Mena’s back in 2011 when I was fortunate to produce his recording of Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony in Bergen. His grasp of this huge and complex score went without saying. Equally memorable and rewarding, though, was his collegial manner with everyone: the orchestra, pianist Steven Osborne and ondes Martenot Cynthia Millar, and with us the recording team. A really ‘feel-good’ set of sessions. The grace and humility of his announcement say much about the man.