Conductor Juanjo Mena, former Cincinnati festival head, to retire because of Alzheimer's disease

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Conductor Juanjo Mena, the former principal conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival, said he will retire this year because of Alzheimer's disease.

Mena announced the diagnosis in January 2025 and said in a public letter Friday that the disease has progressed.

“My situation is different than it was a year ago and it calls for some important decisions to be made,” the 60-year-old wrote in the letter, released by the agency IMG Artists. “I now feel that the time has come to say goodbye to my work on the podium. Every score has an ending, and the final bars of this one have been written. This year’s concerts will be the last I conduct. This decision was a difficult one to make, as you can imagine, but one I have considered carefully and wanted to share with you today.”

IMG's statement said Mena will conduct select performances, including the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra on March 21 and 22.

“I would like to take the opportunity and turn my upcoming farewell concerts into an expression of gratitude and above all, a celebration,” Mena wrote. “My conducting career has spanned 40 wonderful years, and I have a lot to be thankful for. First and foremost, to my family, for their continuous support and infinite patience with me. And secondly, to all of you who have supported me: the public, every orchestra, and each and every one of the musicians and people with whom I have had the honor and pleasure of working. These will be some of my favorite memories: making good music together and having a great time doing it.”

Mena was artistic director and principal conductor of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra from 1999-2008, chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic from 2011-18 and the Cincinnati May Festival from 2017-23. He has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic.