Obituary, Antonio Meneses (1957 - 2024)

We are saddened to share the news that the cellist Antonio Meneses has passed away at the age of 66. 

Meneses enjoyed a long and distinguished career as both soloist and chamber musician, having won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1982 before making his American debut with the London Symphony Orchestra and Claudio Abbado the following year. His repertoire covered a wide range from the Bach Cello Suites to world premieres of new music, and he was a member of the Beaux Arts Trio from 1998-2008. Meneses also worked with musicians including Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maria João Pires, Herbert Von Karajan and Kurt Sanderling. He leaves behind a treasury of recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon, Avie, Profil Medien, and Warner/EMI labels, and the legacy of his teaching at the Bern Academy of the Arts and in masterclasses across the world.

AVIE CEO Melanne Mueller comments, “Antonio was special. With grace and aplomb, his supreme musicality shone through his seemingly effortless virtuosity. He was a consummate gentleman, generous colleague and a truly great artist. We will miss him dearly.”

Antonio Meneses - a selected discography