Biography
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Mario Méndez, born in 1995 in Madrid, has been part of several orchestras such as the Young Symphony Orchestra of Arturo Soria, the Young Symphony Orchestra of Adolfo Salazar, the Symphony Orchestra of the Royal Site of San Ildefonso and JMj Symphony OrchestraHe has performed in great concert halls, like the National Auditorium Symphony Hall, the San Lorenzo del Escorial Auditorium and the Miguel Delibes Auditorium in Valladolid.
He has also participated in several soloist concert cycles in the Community of Madrid and festivals as the “KLASSICFEST 2018”, the “VI International Festival: LOS NOCTURNOS DE CIBELES” and the “XII International Festival of Classical Music: Nights of the Royal Site” in which a moved audience approached to convey their affection after the concert.
Mario Méndez obtained in 2019 the Bachelor Degree in Music, with califications of excellent, at the Katarina Gurska School of Music by the renowned master Vicente Alberola, with whom then he also studied the Master in Solo Performance in the same music school and a clarinet course at AlberolaMMCV Academy in Valencia.
He has also enriched his training with numerous master classes and training courses with great international clarinetists such as Jose Luis Estellés, Javier Martínez, Juan Ferrer, Nikita Vaganov, Davide Lattuada and Justo Sanz, learning from all of them to continue developing their musical and interpretive capacity and determining what today is as a clarinetist, musician and person.
In 2021 he began to focus his career to professional orchestral interpretation studying a clarinet and bass clarinet course at the Alberola MMCV Orchestral Academy, in Valencia, witht Vicente Alberola as clarinet teacher and Juan Luis Puelles as bass clarinet teacher.
As a teacher he accumulates six years of experience with students of all ages and levels, currently being the teacher of this instrument at the Sol Menor School and at Asociación Cultural Banda de Música de Colmenar Viejo Music School.
Professional training
WHAT HAS HE STUDIED
2010–2015
INTERMEDIATE DEGREE OF MUSIC IN THE SPECIALITY OF CLARINET
Arturo Soria Conservatory.
Teacher: Juan Luis Ramírez García.
Experience
WHERE HAS HE WORKED
2014
Principal clarinet of Arturo Soria Young Symphony Orchestra
2014–2015
2015–2019
BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN THE SPECIALITY OF CLARINET
Katarina Gurska School of Music.
Professor: Vicente Alberola Ferrando.
Principal clarinet of Adolfo Salazar Symphony Orchestra.
2015–2019
Principal clarinet of Royal Site of San Ildefonso Symphony Orchestra.
2018–2023
2019–2020
MASTER IN SOLO PERFORMANCE IN THE SPECIALITY OF CLARINET
Katarina Gurska School of Music.
Professor: Vicente Alberola Ferrando.
2021– 2022
CLARINET & BASS CLARINET COURSE AT ALBEROLA MMCV ORCHESTRAL ACADEMY
Alberola MMCV Orchestral Academy.
Teacher: Vicente Alberola Ferrando & Juan Luis Puelles.
2022–2024
Clarinet and musical theory teacher at Sol Menor Music School.
2022–2024
He has collaborated as clarinetist in Camerata Musicalis Symphony Orchestra
2020–Present
Clarinet teacher at Asociación Cultural Banda de Música de Colmenar Viejo Music School.
2024–Present
Clarinet teacher at the Municipal Music School of Colmenar Viejo.
2024–Present
Secondary Music Teacher at Bristol College.
Complementary Training & Languages
COURSES Y MASTERCLASSES
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Masterclass by Vicente Alberola at the CPM Arturo Soria (2012).
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XVIII International Clarinet Course "Julián Menéndez" of Ávila (2013).
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Masterclass by Jose Luis Estellés at CIEM Federico Moreno Torroba (2014).
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VII Segovia City Music Course, with Josep Arnau (2014).
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Masterclass by Jose Luis Estellés at the CIM Padre Antonio Soler (2015).
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Contemporary music course at the Menéndez Pelayo International University with the composer Tomás Marco Aragón (2017).
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Clarinet course of the 'IV Bal and Gay Music Festival' with Vicente Alberola and Javier Martínez García (2017).
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Symphony Band Conducting Technique Course "City of Manzanares" (2018).
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Clarinet course of the 'V Bal and Gay Music Festival' with Vicente Alberola, Javier Martínez García and Nikita Vaganov (2018).
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Clarinet course of the 'VI Bal and Gay Music Festival' with Vicente Alberola, Javier Martínez and Juan Ferrer (2019).
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Bass clarinet masterclass by Davide Lattuada at the Alberola Music Masters Course Valencia (2019).
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Clarinet masterclass by Antonio Lapaz at Musical Perales, Madrid (2024).
LANGUAGES
Spanish
English
French
Awards & scholarships
MUSICAL RECOGNITIONS
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CSKG Scholarship, for the study of the Higher Degree in the Clarinet specialty at the Katarina Gurska Higher Center.
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Full scholarship for the course "New paradigms of listening: contemporary music" at the Menéndez Pelayo University with the composer Tomás Marco Aragón.
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Santander Lingua Scholarship, for taking the C1 level English course at the Complutense University of Madrid.
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Obtaining copyright on an arrangement for clarinet of the Sonata for flute and piano by S. Prokofiev, said arrangement being approved by the composer's descendants.
Other skills
RELATED KNOWLEDGE
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Management of score editors.
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Sound editing and mixing.
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Piano.
Concert proposals
SCHUMANN BRAHMS: THE SAME PASSION
It all began when the Schumann couple, formed by Clara and Robert, invited a very young composer named Johannes Brahms to their house. At that time, Robert was already a renowned composer whose intention was to enhance the career of young musicians. Very few of them were fortunate enough to be in the composer's house and receive his support to enter the select group of composers. Robert's wife Clara was an excellent pianist and emerging composer. She was frecuently compared to Franz Liszt.
Johannes Brahms arrived at the house one rainy night, recomended by his music teacher, who asked the couple to listen to the young Brahms. He sat on the piano fascinated and began to play, and then Clara realized the incredible ability of the young musician. From that moment, Robert, Clara and Brahms were connected forever. He moved close to them, becoming close friends. Unfortunately, Robert began to suffer serious mental problems. Johannes comforted Clara and it became clear that they both loved each other, but because of the respect she felt for her husband, Clara kept her feelings.
She confessed him that they would never be together, but they would not lose their friendship. Clara will dedicate her life to honor the figure of her husband and to spread her music, and Brahms would focus on her compositions, becoming one of the greatest composers in the history of music.
PROGRAM
CLARA SCHUMANN (1819–1896)
Three romances for clarinet and piano, op. 22
(transcription by Joachim Draheim)
1. Andante molto
2. Allegretto: Mit zartem Vortrage (Softly)
3. Leidenschaftlich schnell (Passionately fast)
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1886–1963)
Fantasy pieces for clarinet and piano, op. 73
1. Zart und mit Ausdruck (Soft and expressive)
2. Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light)
3. Rasch und mit Feuer (Quickly and with fire)
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Sonata for clarinet and piano in f minor, op. 120 n.º 1
1. Allegro appassionato
2. Andante un poco adagio
3. Allegretto grazioso
4. Vivace
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Sonata for clarinet and piano in e flat major, op. 120 n.º 2
1. Allegro amabile
2. Allegro appassionato
3. Andante con moto, allegro
During the 20th century, Paris became the capital of the arts, where composers, musicians and other talented artists experimented with new languages and styles, combining them and exchanging and enriching each other.
At this moment, the Impressionism becomes the prevalent style, becoming a cultural trend that initially emerged in the field of painting, but eventually influenced the musical production of the moment, which was also affected by the symbolism of literature.
The city of Paris was the meeting point of these three magnificent creators: Jean Francaix, Francis Poulenc and Claude Debussy, where their talents will be enriched and developed to such a high level they will become three of the best composers of the 20th century.
PROGRAM
JEAN-FRANCAIX (1912–1997)
Concerto for clarinet and orchestra
1. Allegro
2. Scherzando
3. Andantino
4. Allegrissimo
FRANCIS POULENC(1899–1963)
Sonata for clarinet and piano
1. Allegro tristamente
2. Romanza
3. Allegro con fuoco
CLAUDE DEBUSSY(1862-1918)
First rhapsody for clarinet and piano