Carlos Mena (born 1971) is a Spanish

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a ...

opera singer. He has previously worked with groups such as Al Ayre Español, Ensemble Gilles Binchois, and

Ricercar Consort The Ricercar Consort is a Belgian instrumental ensemble founded in 1980 together with the Ricercar record label of Jérôme Lejeune. The founding members were violinist François Fernandez, organist Bernard Foccroulle, and viola da gamba pla ...

and has an interest in the twentieth-century repertoire.

Life and career

Carlos Mena initially worked as a countertenor in masterclasses with

Charles Brett Sir Charles Edward Bainbridge Brett, KBE, CBE (30 October 1928 – 19 December 2005), was a Northern Irish solicitor, journalist, author and founding member, and first chairman, of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS). He was known ...

and then relocated to Switzerland in 1992 to study a Diploma of Reinaissance-Baroque Music at the

Schola Cantorum Basiliensis The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (SCB) is a music academy and research institution located in Basel, Switzerland, that focuses on early music and historically informed performance. Faculty at the school have organized performing ensembles that hav ...

in Basel. His teachers here were Richard Levitt and

René Jacobs René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera. Biography Countertenor Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his musi ...

, and he was awarded the diploma in 1997. His operatic performances have included

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

's ''

Radamisto ''Radamisto '' ( HWV 12) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on ''L'amor tirannico, o Zenobia'' by Domenico Lalli and ''Zenobia'' by Matteo Noris. It was Handel's firs ...

'' (title role),

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considere ...

's ''

L'Orfeo ''L'Orfeo'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 318) (), or ''La favola d'Orfeo'' , is a late Renaissance music, Renaissance/early Baroque music, Baroque ''favola in musica'', or List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera, by Claudio Monteverdi, with a li ...

'' (Speranza), Handel's ''Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno'' (Disinganno), and

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and Extended technique, non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one ...

's ''Europera 5''. His recital ''De Aeternitate'' (

) won a

Diapason d'Or The Diapason d'Or (French for "Golden Tuning Fork") is a recommendation of outstanding (mostly) classical music recordings given by reviewers of '' Diapason'' magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the ...

in 2002.

Discography

* ''El Cant de La Sibilla Mallorca - València (1400-1560)''. Montserrat Figueras,

Jordi Savall Jordi Savall i Bernadet (; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish Conducting, conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol ...

La Capella Reial de Catalunya ''La Capella Reial de Catalunya'' is a group of soloist singers under the patronage of the Government of Catalonia with the aim of celebrating, maintaining, and reviving medieval vocal polyphony and the music of the Spanish Golden Age. The group wa ...

Alia Vox 9806, 1999. *

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber correctly ''Biber von Bibern'' (baptism, bapt. 12 August 1644, Stráž pod Ralskem – 3 May 1704, Salzburg) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Biber worked in Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally ...

: ''Missa Bruxellensis''. Letizia Scherrer, Regula Konrad, Pascal Bertin, Carlos Mena, Lambert Climent, Francesc Garrigosa, Daniele Carnovich & Yves Bergé,

Le Concert des Nations ''Le Concert des Nations'' is an orchestra using period instruments, which performs the orchestral and symphonic repertoire from the Baroque to Romanticism: 1600 - 1900. The orchestra was created in 1989, the youngest of the groups conducted by the ...

. Alia Vox AV9808, 1999. * ''Lágrimas corriendo Canciones con vihuela en la España del siglo XVI''. Carlos Mena, Juan Rivera. Almaviva, 2001.

Miguel de Fuenllana Miguel de Fuenllana (c.1500–1579) was a Spanish vihuelist and composer of the Renaissance. Biography Little is known of his life. It is assumed from his name that his roots lie in the municipality of Fuenllana, in the province of Ciudad Re ...

Alonso Mudarra Alonso Mudarra (c. 1510 – April 1, 1580) was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance, and also played the vihuela, a guitar-shaped string instrument. He was an innovative composer of instrumental music as well as songs, and was the composer ...

* ''Alfons V El Magnanim 1396 - 1458 El Cancionero de Montecassino Chansons sacrées et profanes du XVe siècle''. Montserrat Figueras,

Alia Vox 9816A + B, 2001. * ''Vespro a voce sola''. Carlos Mena, Ensemble La Fenice, Jean Tubéry. NAÏVE CLASSIQUE, 2002.

Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...

, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, Tarquinio Merula. Orazio Tarditi, Alessandro Grandi, Adriano Banchieri * Henry Du Mont: ''Grands Motets''. Carlos Mena, Arnaud Marzorati,

Stephan MacLeod Stephan MacLeod is a Swiss bass and conductor focused on Baroque music in historically informed performance who has performed internationally. He was first bass of the Huelgas Ensemble for five years and took part in the complete recording of B ...

, Philippe Pierlot, Namur Chamber Choir,

. Ricercar, 2003. *

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

: ''De Occulta Philosophia''. Carlos Mena,

Emma Kirkby Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, (; born 26 February 1949) is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings. Education and early career Kirkby was educated at Hanford School, Sherborne School for Girls in Dorse ...

, José Miguel Moreno. Glossa Platinum, 2004. * ''De Aeternitate'': Cantatas. Carlos Mena, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2004.

Johann Christoph Bach Johann Christoph Bach (baptised – 31 March 1703) was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period. Johann Christoph was an older cousin of Johann Sebastian Bach who would later describe him in his ''Genealogy'' (, 1735) as "the pr ...

Johann Michael Bach Johann Michael Bach (baptised , Arnstadt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – , Gehren) was a German composer of the Baroque period. He was the brother of Johann Christoph Bach, as well as first cousin, once removed and father-in-law of Johann Sebast ...

Christoph Bernhard Christoph Bernhard (1 January 1628 – 14 November 1692) was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He was a German Baroque composer and musician. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and in W ...

Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (some authorities use the spelling Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer) (1656 August 27, 1746) was a German Baroque composer. Johann Nikolaus Forkel ranked Fischer as one of the best composers for keyboard of his da ...

, Christian Geist, Nikolaus Hasse, Melchior Hoffmann,

Johann Adam Reincken Johann Adam Reincken (also ''Jan Adams, Jean Adam'', ''Reinken, Reinkinck, Reincke, Reinicke, Reinike''; baptized 10 December 1643 – 24 November 1722) was a Dutch/German organist and composer. He was one of the most important composers of the 1 ...

, Christian Spahn. *

: ''

Actus Tragicus (God's time is the very best time), , also known as ''Actus tragicus'', is an early sacred cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Mühlhausen, intended for a funeral. The earliest source for the composition is a copied manuscript dated 1 ...

''. Carlos Mena,

Katharine Fuge Katharine Fuge (born 1968) is an English soprano in concert and recital who is known for her work with John Eliot Gardiner's Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000. Career Fuge grew up on Jersey in the Channel Islands and studied in London at City, U ...

Jan Kobow Jan Kobow (born 1966) is a German classical tenor in concert, Lied, and Baroque opera. Professional career Jan Kobow was born and raised in Berlin. He was a singer and soloist of the ''Staats- und Domchor, Berlin'' with Christian Grube. He studi ...

, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2005. * ''La Cantada Española en América''. Carlos Mena, Eduardo López Banzo,

Al Ayre Español Al Ayre Español is a vocal and instrumental ensemble specialized on early music founded in 1988 by harpsichordist Eduardo López Banzo.Interview with Eduardo López Banzo owww.odb-opera.com/ref> The name of the ensemble was inspired by the title ...

. Harmonia Mundi Ibérica, 2005.

José de Nebra José Melchor Baltasar Gaspar Nebra Blasco (January 6, 1702 – July 11, 1768) was a Spanish composer and organist from the Baroque period. His work combines Spanish traditions with the Italian style of his day. Biography Family José de Nebra w ...

José de Torres José de Torres y Martínez Bravo (16701738) was a Spanish composer, organist, music theorist and music publisher. Biography Torres was born in Madrid, where he served as organist of the ''capilla real'' from 1697. With the arrival of the House ...

, Anónimo *

Enríquez de Valderrábano Enríquez de Valderrábano (c. 1500 – after 1557) was a Spanish vihuelist and composer. There is little biographical data on this composer of early music, but his ''Libro de música de vihuela intitulado Silva de Sirenas'', published in Vallado ...

: ''Silva de sirenas''. Carlos Mena, Armoniosi Concerti. Harmonia Mundi, 2005. *

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Giovanni Battista Draghi (; 4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736), usually referred to as Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (), was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and organist, leading exponent of the Baroque; he is considered one of the g ...

: ''Stabat Mater''. Carlos Mena,

Nuria Rial Núria Rial (born 1975 in Manresa, Catalonia) is a Spanish soprano. In recent years, Rial has specialized in the music of the renaissance and baroque eras, such as the works of Handel and Monteverdi. Her repertoire also includes Johann Sebastian ...

, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2005. *

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

: ''Stabat Mater''. Carlos Mena,

François Fernandez François Fernandez (born 22 February 1960) is a French classical violinist who specializes in historically informed performance. Career Born in Rouen in a family of musicians, Fernandez began learning the classical violin at the age of twelve, ...

, Marc Hantai, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2005. * Basque songs: ''Paisajes del Recuerdo''.

Carmelo Bernaola Carmelo Alonso Bernaola (16 July 1929 5 June 2002) was a Spanish Basque composer and clarinetist. A member of the Generation of '51, he was one of the most influential composers in the Spanish musical scene of the second half of the 20th centu ...

(1929-2002): ''Tres canciones de Segovia''.

Aita Donostia José Gonzalo Zulaica (10 January 1886 in San Sebastián, Spain – 30 August 1956), better known by his pen name Aita Donostia (Father Donostia or Father San Sebastian, because he was a priest born in San Sebastian, Donostia in the Basque lang ...

: ''Baratza baten lor polit bat.'' Lullabies. Gabriel Erkoreka: Azules. Francisco Escudero: ''Tres cantos vascos''.

José María Franco José María Franco Ramallo (born 28 September 1978) is a Uruguayan former footballer who played as a striker. Teams * Central Español 1996–1997 * Peñarol 1998–2001 * Torino 2001–2004 * Santiago Wanderers 2005–2006 * Peñarol 20 ...

: ''Diré tu nombre''.

Jesús Guridi Jesús Guridi Bidaola (25 September 1886 – 7 April 1961) was a Spanish Basque composer who was a key player in 20th-century Spanish and Basque music. His style fits into the late Romantic idiom, directly inherited from Wagner, and with a stron ...

: ''Paysage. Melodías para canto y piano''.

Francisco Ibáñez (composer) Francisco Ibáñez Irribarría (Oyón-Oion, Oyón, Alava, 1951) is a Basque people, Basque composer. He studied in Barcelona with Carles Guinovart.Andrés Isasi: 6 songs.

Beltrán Pagola Beltrán Pagola Goya (28 February 1878 in San Sebastián – 8 July 1950) was a Basque composer, pianist and teacher. He was professor at the Conservatory of Music (''Conservatorio donostiarra'') in San Sebastián. His music was often inspired by Ba ...

(1878-1950): ''Zortzico''.

José Uruñuela José Tomas Uruñuela (Gasteiz, 28 July 1891 – Donostia, 3 July 1963) was a Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of ...

(1891-1963): ''Lieder Basko''.

Emiliana de Zubeldía Emiliana is a feminine name of Italian language, Italian origin. It can refer to: As a given name * Emiliana of Trasilla and Emiliana, Catholic saints * Emilíana Torrini (born 1977), Icelandic singer As a surname * Cesare Emiliani (1922–19 ...

(1888-1987): ''Zortzico''. Carlos Mena, Susana Garcia de Salazar (piano). Harmonia Mundi, 2007. * Various composers - ''

Francisco Javier Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative o ...

- The Route to the Orient''. Montserrat Figueras,

Hespèrion XXI Hespèrion XXI is an international early music ensemble. The group was formed in Basel, Switzerland in 1974 as Hespèrion XX by Catalan musical director Jordi Savall (bowed string instruments, particularly the viola da gamba), his wife Montser ...

Alia Vox AVSA9856 A+B, 2007. *

: ''Tombeau de Sa Majesté la Reine de Pologne''. Carlos Mena, Jan Kobow, Stephan MacLeod, Francis Jacob, Katherine Fuge, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2007. *

Giovanni Felice Sances Giovanni Felice Sances (also Sancies, Sanci, Sanes, Sanchez, 24 November 1679) was an Italian singer and a Baroque composer. He was renowned in Europe during his time. Sances studied at the Collegio Germanico in Rome from 1609 to 1614. He appear ...

: ''Stabat Mater''. Carlos Mena, Philippe Pierlot,

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1620–1623between 29 February and 20 March 1680) was an Austrian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque era. Almost nothing is known about his early years, but he seems to have arrived in Vienna during the 163 ...

Johann Fux Johann Joseph Fux (; – 13 February 1741) was an Austrian composer, music theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era. His most enduring work is not a musical composition but his treatise on counterpoint, '' Gradus ad Parnassum'', which has ...

, Marco Antonio Ziani Mirare, 2008. *

: ''Aus der Tieffen''. Carlos Mena, Katharine Fuge,

Hans Jörg Mammel Hans Jörg Mammel (born in Stuttgart) is a German tenor in opera and concert. Mammel received his first musical training as a member of the boys' choir Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben. After aborting legal studies, he studied at the Hochschule ...

, Stephan MacLeod, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2009. *

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque music, Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical peri ...

: ''Salve Regina''. Carlos Mena, Nicolau de Figueiredo, Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla. OBS Prometeo, 2009. *

: ''Magnificat''. Carlos Mena, Anna Zander,

, Stephan MacLeod, Francis Jacob, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2010. *

Tomás Luis de Victoria Tomás Luis de Victoria (sometimes Italianised as ''da Vittoria''; ) was the most famous Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Orlande de Lassus as among the principal composers of the late Re ...

: ''Et Jesum''. Carlos Mena, Juan Carlos Rivera, Francisco Rubio Gallego. Harmonia Mundi Gold, 2010 * Blow & Purcell: ''Odes & Songs''. Carlos Mena, Damien Guillon, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2010 *

: ''Passio secundum Johannem (Johannes-Passion)''. Maria Keohane, Helena Ek, Carlos Mena, Jan Börner,

, Matthias Vieweg, Stephan MacLeod, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2010. *

: ''Orphénica Lyra, 1554''.

Núria Rial Núria Rial (born 1975 in Manresa, Catalonia) is a Spanish soprano. In recent years, Rial has specialized in the music of the renaissance and baroque eras, such as the works of Handel and Monteverdi. Her repertoire also includes Johann Sebastian ...

, Carlos Mena, Orphénica Lyra,

José Miguel Moreno José Miguel Moreno (Madrid, 1946) is a Spanish specialist of historical plucked string instruments, such as the vihuela, lute, theorbo, and guitars. In 1977 he won the First Prize of the Incontri Chitarristici di Gargnano (Italy) and later many awa ...

. Glossa, 2011 (recorded 1999). *

: '' Missa 1733''. Eugénie Warnier (soprano), Anna Reinhold (soprano), Carlos Mena (alto), Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro (tenor), Konstantin Wolff (bass),

Raphaël Pichon Raphaël Pichon (born in 1984 in Paris) is a French countertenor, choral and orchestral conductor. Biography Raphaël Pichon was a member of the Maîtrise des petits chanteurs de Versailles (children's choir) during his childhood. He then stu ...

(direction), Ensemble Pygmalion, Alpha 188, 2012. *

Jan Dismas Zelenka Jan Dismas Zelenka (16 October 1679 – 23 December 1745), baptised Jan Lukáš Zelenka was a Bohemian composer and musician of the Baroque period. His music is admired for its harmonic inventiveness and mastery of counterpoint. Zelenka was ...

: ''Gaude laetare ZWV 168 , Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis ZWV 17''. Gabriela Eibenová (soprano), Carlos Mena (alto), Makoto Sakurada (tenor), Adam Viktora (conductor), Ensemble Inégal, Prague Baroque Soloists, Nibiru 01572231, 2013. *

: ''In tempore nativitatis''. Maria Keohane, Carlos Mena, Julian Prégardien, Stephan MacLeod, Philippe Pierlot,

. Mirare, 2013. *

Antonio Caldara Antonio Caldara ( – 28 December 1736) was an Italian Baroque composer. Life Caldara was born in Venice (exact date unknown), the son of a violinist. He became a chorister at St Mark's in Venice, where he learned several instruments, probab ...

: ''La concordia de Pianeti''. Andrea Marcon,

Daniel Behle Daniel Behle (born 1974) is a German classical composer and operatic tenor. He has performed at international opera houses and festivals, and has recorded both operas and ''Lieder'' recitals. Career Born in Hamburg, Behle studied music pedagog ...

, Veronica Cangemi, Alexandra Donose, Franco Fagioli, David Galoustov, Carlos Mena, La Certa, Archiv Production, 2014. * Disfonik Orchestra: ''Under the Shadow''. Carlos Mena & The Disfonik Orchestra. Carlos Mena (alto), Ghalmia Senouci (alto), Jacques Beaud (bass & direction) The Disfonik Orchestra, Mirare 300, 2016.

References

External links

Performance videos
''Magnificat Et misericordia''
(Bach) with Ricercar Consort and Hans Jorg Mammel
''Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum ''
(Vivaldi) with Les Siècles
''Können Tränen meiner Wangen''
(Bach) with Al Ayre Spanish Voices Choir
''l'Ensemble 415''
(Scarlatti) with Salve Regina Biographies

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mena, Carlos 1971 births Living people 21st-century Spanish male opera singers Operatic countertenors Schola Cantorum Basiliensis alumni