bio
Lina Mendes, born in Rio de Janeiro, is considered one of the leading Brazilian sopranos.
In Italy, she was part of the Accademia Teatro Alla Scala; in Spain, she joined the Centre de Perfeccionament del Palau de les Arts, and in Germany, she took part in the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival.
Recently, she made her debut at the Tenerife Opera, portraying Rosalba in the opera "Florencia en el Amazonas" by Catán. In Madrid, she performed R. Strauss songs in the Piano Conference Series with conductor Pedro Halffter, presented by Fundación BBVA. She played the role of Sophie in Strauss's opera "Der Rosenkavalier" at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo and portrayed Polly in the opera "Die Dreigroschenoper" by Kurt Weill at Theatro São Pedro.
She made her debut at the Palau de les Arts in Spain with great success, performing as Musetta in "La Boheme" (Puccini) and Ilia in "Idomeneo" (Mozart). She represented Brazil at the BRICS Cultural Festival in Xiamen, China.
Other notable performances include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at TMSP under the direction of Roberto Minczuk, Mahler's Eighth Symphony at Sala São Paulo under the baton of Marin Alsop, Stravinsky's "Pulcinella" conducted by Roberto Tibiriçá, and Mozart's Requiem with the Campinas Symphony. She also performed Mahler's Fourth Symphony under the direction of Stefan Geiger at Theatro São Pedro and played Valencienne in the operetta "The Merry Widow" (Lehar) at TMSP.
In 2021, she participated in the 23rd Amazonas Opera Festival online, playing the role of Laura in the opera "Três Minutos de Sol" by Leonardo Martinelli. At Sala Cecília Meireles, she sung Vocal Quartets by Schumann and Brahms. In Belo Horizonte, she sang in Pergolesi's Stabat Mater under the direction of Silvio Viegas at Palácio das Artes. She portrayed Anne Trulove in the opera "The Rake’s Progress" (Stravinsky) at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo and Sofia in the opera "Il Signor Bruschino" (Rossini) at Theatro São Pedro.
In 2018, she was selected by Broadway to star as Christine Daaé in the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" in Brazil. Lina was on stage for almost two years, giving 400 performances to an audience of over half a million people.
reviews
Idomeneo - Palau de les Arts Spain (Valencia) - 2016
"The cast is very remarkable in the main quartet. Gregory shines as Idomeneo, but perhaps more surprising is the clean and secure performance of Lina Mendes."
Jorge Fernández Guerra (El País).
"(...) Lina Mendes as Ilia, a soprano with a distinctive voice, generous volume, agility for coloratura, and a perfect stage presence. Perhaps the best role-singer relationship in the cast."
Robert Benito (Opera World).
"Lina Mendes, trained at the Centre de Perfeccionamento Plácido Domingo, offers a flawless Ilia, singing with precision, fluidity, and ease, with refined technique. (...) and in the refined Ilia, portrayed by Lina Mendes, with intense and emotional arias."
Joger Alier (La Vanguardia).
"(...) and the charming Ilia, whom Lina Mendes embodies with all her simplicity and sweetness."
Álvaro Del Amo (El Mundo).
"Stupendous the three female voices, with the revelation of Lina Mendes, (...)."
Alonso Gonzalo (La Razón/Beckmesser).
"The heir to the throne is in love with the princess and Trojan slave Ilia (the crystal-clear Lina Mendes)."
César López Rosell (El Periodico).
"Lina Mendes is another of the night's winners. (...) she demonstrated first-rate skills in Mozartian singing, full of taste and naturalness, without affectation."
Joaquín Guzmán (ABC Comunidad Valenciana).
"(...) her pleasant timbre, along with good projection and excellent agility; and this was evident in each of her lyrical interventions: right from the start of the opera when she interpreted 'Padre, germani, addio' with expressiveness and delicate accents. She displayed excellent vocal control in her aria from Act 2, 'Se il padre perdei.' Her best moment occurs when facing the beautiful and delicate aria 'Zeffiretti lusinghieri,' from Act 3."
Diego Garcia Perez-Espejo (Brio Clasica).
"Lina Mendes was an effervescent Ilia with a crystal-clear voice."
César Rus (Las Provincias).
"Among them, Brazilian Lina Mendes, an Ilia full of sensitivity and with a beautiful vocal line."
Renato Verga (L’opera in casa).
Rigoletto - Palácio das Artes Belo Horizonte – 2014
"Gilda was played by the young and talented Lina Mendes, who is forging a promising career (in São Paulo, Lina recently made a praised Cunegundis in Bernstein's 'Candide,' with Osusp, and later, as a replacement for an ailing soloist, with Osesp). The soprano has a privileged voice with good projection, and she knows how to imprint rich timbral nuances. With stage naturalness, Lina paired well with Giugliani's Rigoletto (both had already performed together at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo in 2011)."
Nelson Kunze (Concento Magazine)
Three Minutes of Sun - 23rd Online Amazon Opera Festival - 2021
"...special mention must be made of Mendes, who establishes herself as one of the most versatile Brazilian singers of the moment."
Irineu Franco Perpétuo (Concerto Magazine).
"The singers are magnificent: Lina Mendes, a young soprano who has been making her career known in recent years..."
Jorge Coli (Concerto Magazine).
Un Ballo in Maschera - Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro - 2018
"Soprano Lina Mendes portrayed Oscar with great agility and displayed all her musicality (...). In passages like 'Volta la terrea' (in the first act), 'Di che fulgor, che musiche' (quintet in the first scene of the last act, where she sang and danced simultaneously), and 'Saper vorreste' (during the ballroom scene), the artist demonstrated stage mastery and balanced, resonant, and clear vocal delivery."
Leonardo Marques (Movimento Website).