Carlos Mena
Born in Spain, countertenor Carlos Mena went to Switzerland after his studies in Vitoria in order to specialise in the (early) baroque repertoire. In addition to his love of early music, he also enjoys working with the repertoire of the 20th century and the art form of the Spanish zarzuela.
About the artist
Spanischer Counter in Switzerland
The Spanish countertenor, Carlos Mena, was born in Vitoria (Spain), where he began his musical studies. In 1992 he went to Switzerland to study toward a Diploma of Renaissance-Baroque Music at the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (SCB) of Basel, where he studied with his maestros R. Levitt and René Jacobs, and in master-classes given by Emma Kirkby and others. He also took an interest in medieval music with D. Vellard and in opera, earning his diploma in 1997.
Under the direction of conductors such as René Jacobs, Gustav Leonhardt, Marc Minkowski, Fabio Biondi, Andrea Marcon and many others, he performs in leading concert halls in Europe, the USA and South America, Japan and Australia.
His rich oeuvre is documented on more than 40 CD recordings and has been awarded prizes such as the Diapason d’Or of the Year and Recording of the Year or the CHOC du Monde de la Musique.
As a guest conductor, Carlos Mena is invited to conduct orchestras such as the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Sinfónica de Navarra, Sinfónica de Galicia, Sinfónica de Portugal, Principado de Asturias, Sinfónica de Bilbao, etc.
