Simone Menezes is celebrated for her artistic excellence, musical and intellectual depth, acclaimed recordings and leadership.Her engagements include collaborations with some of the world's most prestigious orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Osaka Symphony, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony and São Paulo Symphony. She has also collaborated with renowned soloists and composers such as Fazıl Say, Gautier Capuçon, Thomas Adès, Kaija Saariaho and Philippe Hersant. Throughout her career, Simone has conducted over 20 world premieres, excelling in both traditional and contemporary repertoire.
Simone is highly praised for conducting both traditional orchestral performances and complex multidisciplinary projects. Her recordings have been critically acclaimed, including a project to record the complete works of Maurice Ravel. The first release in this series, featuring pianist François-Xavier Poizat and the London Philharmonia Orchestra, was selected as an Editor's Choice by Gramophone magazine.
Her innovative projects include the award-winning documentary Metanoia – featuring music by Puccini, Pärt and Bach - which won the "Best Video in Performance & Documentaries" award at the 2023 International Classical Music Awards.
Another major project is the Amazônia concert, a partnership with renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado. Combining the music of Philip Glass and Heitor Villa-Lobos with Salgado's photography, this project was recorded with the Zurich Philharmonia and released as a highly acclaimed CD. It has been performed in major concert halls around the world for over five years. Most recently, in 2024, Simone premiered a celebrated interpretation of "Scheherazade, a tale" at the Boulez Saal in Berlin. The project, developed during an artistic residency, included a double CD recording with the actress Golshifteh Farahani, released by Alpha Classics. In 2025, she will present Four Elements with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra at the Osaka World Expo, including the world premiere of Fazıl Say's Piano Concerto, commissioned for the occasion.
An Italian-Brazilian artist, Simone studied in São Paulo, Paris and London, and was mentored by Paavo Järvi. She's had a major career in Brazil, both as a principal and guest conductor, and has been based in Europe since 2017. Simone currently resides in France, where she was honoured as one of the "100 Femmes de Culture" for her contributions to French-speaking cultural life. She also leads her Ensemble K, a group based in France and celebrated for its innovation, charisma and integrity. Founded in 2019, the ensemble explores a rich repertoire that combines classical traditions with bold, forward-looking projects. Described by Le Monde as "Klassic, Kosmopolitan, Kréatif, Konnected", the group embodies a cosmopolitan identity and creative vision under Simone's leadership.