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From an early age, Irene Fernández Mena lived to the rhythm of music.
She began her musical studies at the age of five, receiving lessons in piano, solfège, rhythm, and intonation before turning to the saxophone, which became her instrument of choice.
Originally from Arjona (Jaén province), Irene continued her training at the professional conservatories of Córdoba and Jaén, and completed her studies at the Rafael Orozco Higher Conservatory of Music (Córdoba), under the guidance of professors Bernardo Zagalaz and Manuel Ureña.
In 2010, she graduated with the distinction Matrícula de Honor and received the Special End-of-Studies Prize.
Training and artistic development
To enrich her playing, Irene Fernández Mena attended numerous masterclasses with internationally renowned saxophonists:
➤ Arno Bornkamp
➤ Claude Delangle
➤ Jean-Denis Michat
➤ Nikita Zimin
➤ Nobuya Sugawa
➤ Jean-Yves Fourmeau
➤ Gilles Tressos
➤ Philippe Braquart
➤ Masataka Hirano
➤ Fabrizio Mancuso
➤ Christian Wirth
➤ Alexander Doisy
➤ Philippe Lecocq
She is a laureate of several prestigious competitions, including the International Competition of Huelma, where she also received the special jury award.
Academic career and research
In 2011, Irene completed a Master in Music Pedagogy at the University of Córdoba, followed in 2012 by a Master in Musical Heritage at the University of Granada and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía (UNIA).
Her research on flamenco jazz applied to the saxophone received the highest marks and led her to:
➤ Give university lectures (University of Plasencia, UNED)
➤ Participate in research seminars
➤ Publish articles in specialized journals such as Resonancias and the Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies
Professional career
In 2012, she joined the Municipal Band of Jaén as baritone saxophone soloist. The following year, she became a saxophone professor at the “García Matos” Professional Conservatory of Music (Plasencia), while also teaching in municipal music schools and universities (University of Cáceres).
During her time in Extremadura, Irene performed in prestigious venues:
➤ Gran Teatro de Cáceres
➤ Teatro de Mérida
➤ Concatedral Santa María (Cáceres)
➤ Auditorio San Francisco
➤ Museo Etnográfico Pérez Enciso
She notably performed saxophone concertos by Ronald Binge, Karel Husa, and the famous Czardas by Iturralde.
She also created her multidisciplinary show Los Sonidos Ancestrales, combining saxophone, lights, and musical synesthesia.
Chamber music and artistic projects
Deeply passionate about chamber music, Irene developed several artistic projects:
➤ Saxophone-guitar duo with Isabel Alcántara, later Carlos Almoril, exploring works by Rodrigo, Villa-Lobos, Bartók, Piazzolla, and Pujol
➤ Saxophone-piano duo with María Isabel Rueda, Beatriz González, Lucía Moreno, and Pilar Osado
➤ Member of the National Ensemble Músax, composed of nine female saxophonists performing across Spain
She is regularly invited to deliver masterclasses and lectures in prestigious conservatories:
➤ Cristóbal de Morales Conservatory (Seville)
➤ Carlos Ros Conservatory (Guadix)
➤ Esteban Sánchez International Course
Current status
Since 2018, Irene Fernández Mena has been a tenured saxophone professor after passing the Spanish national competition. She currently teaches at the Rafael Orozco Higher Conservatory (Córdoba) and the Manuel Castillo Higher Conservatory (Seville).
