BIO
Simone Menezes is a visionary and inspiring musician who has been making waves on the international scene through award-winning projects that blend excellence and tradition with creativity.
A protégée of Paavo Järvi, she studied at the École Normale de Paris and previously at Unicamp. She began her career in Brazil as the principal conductor of Unicamp and collaborated with the Sao Paulo State Youth Orchestra and Claudio Cruz. In 2016, she established herself in France, where she founded the acclaimed Ensemble K.
Simone has conducted some of Europe's leading orchestras, including the Munich Philharmonic, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphonic Orchestra of Brazil, Orchestre National d’Ile de France, Orchestre National de l’Opera de Lorraine, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, and at the Philharmonie de Paris.
She has premiered over 20 works. Her K Ensemble has released 2 critically acclaimed CDs. In 2023, her film "METANOIA" won the International Classical Music Award for Best Performance/Documentary in Classical Music, with unanimous approval from the jury composed of 20 international classical music magazines.
Recent and upcoming engagements include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Douai, and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.
With the K Ensemble, Simone has concerts in Paris, Venice, London, and Lille. She has recorded with the London Philharmonia and Zurich Opera, and her projects are available on Medici and Mezzo TV.
She regularly collaborates with esteemed soloists such as Fazil Say and Gautier Capuçon.
Simone also engages in unique multidisciplinary projects, such as the 'Amazonia' concert in collaboration with photographer Sebastião Salgado.
REVIEWS
BBC Music Magazine
"Simone Menezes glows from start to end."
The Guardian
"Vivid, tight performances from Menezes provided indelible memories."
Diapason
"The interpretation unfolds power and brilliance."
The Telegraph
"Under the disciplined but relaxed direction of Simone Menezes the music's tangled melodic foliage burgeoned luxuriantly."
Classical Music Magazine
"Simone Menezes created magic!"
Berliner Morgenpost
"Under the lively and fluid direction of Simone Menezes (...) the audience responded with well-deserved enthusiastic applause for an outstanding overall performance."
La Repubblica
"Simone Menezes interprets art by giving it a soul."
Classica Magazine
"...a fluidity full of colors, memorable!"
Le Monde
"Conducted by Simone Menezes, ensemble K describes itself as: Klassic, Kosmopolitan, Kreative, Konnected... and it truly is!"
Concert Classic
"With great attention to detail and deep understanding of orchestral colours, Simone Menezes made the music vibrate in the most intriguing fashion - what a discovery this artist is!"
La Nacion
"Precision, clarity, balance and elegant musicality."
Diapason
"Simone Menezes makes Puccini shine."
Gramophone
“Simone Menezes ensures that we hear every detail of Ravel's incredible orchestration in an ideal perspective.”
Online Merker
"Captivating performance, Menezes pushes her musicians without forcing, allowing the piece to develop naturally."
De Standaard
"Simone Menezes once again caught our attention, shaping the musical landscape with her own hand: daring virtuosity and a surprisingly texture-rich interpretation of the tutti fragments versus solo passages, revealing details of the score that, in the usual orchestral environment, hardly have a chance to come to light."