Juanjo Mena
has been Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic for the past five seasons, with highlights including concerts both in Manchester and at the BBC Proms, several acclaimed recordings and five worldwide tours. He has been Artistic Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Chief Guest Conductor of the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. He has recently been appointed Principal Conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival.

He has worked with many prestigious European orchestras such as the Berlin, London, Rotterdam and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestras, Orchestre National de France, Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, Milan, Münchner Rundfunk Orchester and the Swedish Radio Orchestra. He has also conducted most of the leading orchestras in the United States, including Chicago, Boston, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Future highlights include his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington and return visits to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has made several recordings with the BBC Philharmonic, including works by Ginastera, Pierné, de Falla, Montsalvatge, Weber and Turina which have gained excellent reviews from the specialist music press. He has also recorded a critically acclaimed rendering of Messiaen’s Turangalîla Symphony with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.