Raquel Mendes

Raquel Mendes

 

Raquel Mendes, soprano, began her musical studies with the violin, in Conservatório de Música Calouste Gulbenkian, Braga, in the year of 2003, ending her studies in this

institution, as a singer, in 2015. In 2019 she obtained her bachelor’s degree in ESMAE with maximum grade, under the guidance of António Salgado.

She is currently a member of the vocal ensembles Moços do Coro, Bando de Surunyo and Cupertinos, and works frequently with the ensemble Ars Combinatoria. She’s a founding member of the ensemble Il filo d’oro, group focused on historically informed performance of the XVI and XVII’s century music.

She participated in important music festivals, such as Festival Internacional de Música da Póvoa de Varzim, Festival Abulensis, Festival Antena 2, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Bolzano Festival Bozen, Mundos e Fundos, Temporada de Música em São Roque, Festival de Música Religiosa de Canarias, Dani Barokne Musike 2022, Festival Camiñartes, Choral at Cadogan series of concerts, etc.

In December 2020 she won 1st prize in the Concurso Internacional de Música Cidade de Almada 2020’s singing category, level III.

She played the roles of “Giannetta” in G. Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore “Despina” in W.A.

Mozart’s Così fan Tutte, “La Donna” and “Lauretta” in Marcos Portugal’s La Donna di Genio Volubile, “Pulcinella” in Pierangelo Valtinoni’s Pinocchio, “Pilot” in Rachel Portman’s musical The Little Prince and Milu Ricci in Carlos Azevedo and Telmo Marques’ 1755 seguido de o tio Mário vai ao cinema. Soloist performances include, as well, works like W. A. Mozart’s Requiem, G. F. Händel’s Dixit Dominus, C. Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine, Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, José de Nebra’s Miserere, J. S. Bach’s Mass BWV 233 and the Cantatas BWV 38 and BWV 202, G. Fauré’s Requiem, P Avondano’s Magnificat, C. Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, among others.

On chamber music’s domain, Raquel Mendes presents herself frequently in song recitals beside Ángel González, pianist, in Portugal and Spain.