Raquel Mendes
Born in Braga, Raquel Mendes is a soprano whose versatility embraces a wide range of repertoire and musical genres, pursuing both a solo career and ensemble and chamber music projects.
She began her musical studies in violin at the Calouste Gulbenkian Music Conservatory in Braga in 2003 and completed her studies at the same institution in 2015 in the singing course under the guidance of Inês Sofia. In 2019 she graduated with top marks in singing from ESMAE, where she studied under António Salgado.
In 2024 she won the Young Musicians Prize in the Baroque music category, and she also received Second Prize in the singing category in the same edition. In 2023 she was awarded First Prize in the singing competition of the Fundação Rotária Portuguesa, as well as First Prize at the International Music Competition Cidade de Almada and Second Prize in the José Augusto Alegria Prize.
She is a co-founding member of the ensembles Il Filo d’Oro and L’Amoureux Empire, groups focused on historically informed performance of seventeenth-century music.
She also collaborates with ensembles such as La Grande Chapelle, Ludovice Ensemble, Ensemble Bonne Corde, Cupertinos, Bando de Surunyo, Concerto Campestre, Moços do Coro, and Ars Combinatoria. As a soloist, she has premiered numerous works by Portuguese composers, including Alexandre Delgado, Pedro Lima, Francisco Fontes, Afonso de Portugal, João Santos, Tiago Candal, Agnelo Marinho, and Gonçalo Mota, among others.
She has performed as a soloist in venues such as the Royal Chapel of Madrid, the Auditorio de Zaragoza, the National Auditorium of Madrid, the Grand Auditorium of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Teatro São Luiz, Theatro Circo, Teatro Nacional São João, Sala Suggia, Teatro Municipal da Guarda, Teatro Municipal de Castelo Branco, Teatro Garcia de Resende, Cine-Teatro Garrett and Teatro Helena Sá e Costa.
Her discography includes numerous solo and ensemble recordings, notably for labels such as Hyperion Records, Lauda Musica and Ramée. In the field of chamber music, she regularly appears in voice-and-piano recitals with pianists Ana Isabel Santos and Ángel González.
She is due to record the first CD of the ensemble L’Amoureux Empire, scheduled for release in April 2026.