Juanjo Mena began his career as Artistic Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. His extraordinary talent was soon recognised internationally, named Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic, Principal Guest Conductor of the Carlo Felice Theater Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the National Orchestra of Spain.

In 2011, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, taking the orchestra on tours across Europe and Asia, and conducting televised concerts from the Royal Albert Hall, as part of BBC Proms. Until 2023, he was Chief Conductor of Cincinnati’s May Festival. He has conducted the most prestigious ensembles in Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of France, Philharmonique della Scala, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. He regularly collaborates with the most renowned symphonic groups in Spain.

Since his North American debut with the Baltimore Symphony, he has conducted most of the continent’s major orchestras, including the Chicago and Boston Symphonies, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington), the Detroit and Atlanta Symphonies, and the Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras. In Asia, he regularly conducts the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo.

Juanjo Mena studied conducting with Sergiu Celibidache after his musical training at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Madrid, where he had Carmelo Bernaola and Enrique García Asensio as mentors. In 2016, he was awarded the Spanish National Music Award. He lives with his family in his native Basque Country.

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