Conductor Juanjo Mena Reveals Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Mena has shared that he will continue music projects between rest periods and work to slow the disease’s progress

The Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena recently announced his Alzheimer’s diagnosis on his social media. He explained that the illness is in the early stages and has not prevented him from conducting. 

“As you can imagine, the news is difficult to digest and we are still processing it,” Mena said in a video. “I have conducted many complex scores in my life, and the score (circumstance) I am working with now is surely the most difficult of all. With the help of my family, friends, and doctors, I will do everything I can to try to slow down the progress of the disease and ensure that what we do is effective.”

“I will continue working, but I will also rest more, which will be beneficial for me,” he continued. “I have so much strength and energy to carry on, and above all, I have an advantage in my favor, Music. It is my passion and the engine that, now more than ever, activates my brain and makes me work better. I will work as hard as I can so that we can continue to see each other in concert halls. That is my goal and that is my hope.”

Mena began his conducting career as Artistic Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra in 1999. He was later appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic and Chief Guest Conductor of the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. 

Following his North American debut with the Baltimore Symphony in 2004, he has conducted numerous major U.S. orchestras, plus served as a regular guest conductor of Tokyo’s NHK Symphony Orchestra.

In 2011, he was named Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, which he led for seven seasons. Until 2023, he held the position of Principal Conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival. 

Additionally, Mena has regularly conducted the Berlin Phil, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, London Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and many more ensembles across Europe. 

Since September 2024, he worked with the Berlin Philharmonic, Basque National Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, where he led Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the end of the year. 

He is a graduate of the Madrid Royal Conservatory and was mentored by Sergiu Celibidache, Carmelo Bernaola, and Enrique García Asensio. In 2016, Mena was awarded the Spanish National Music Award.