Cuban-American cellist Dr. Tommy Mesa is recognized as one of the most charismatic and innovative performers of his generation. The recipient of Lincoln Center’s 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Organization’s 2023 Medal of Excellence, its highest honor, Mesa has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and symphony orchestras across the United States. He has also performed at the Supreme Court of the United States on four occasions.
A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Mesa gave the world premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Divided, a concerto written for him, in 2022. He has since served as the work’s exclusive soloist, performing it in major venues throughout the United States and Brazil, including Miami’s New World Center, Nashville’s Schermerhorn Center, and Carnegie Hall. His orchestral recording debut of Divided was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 2023.
In the 2024–25 season, Mesa serves as Artist in Residence with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Recent and upcoming orchestral engagements include performances with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and debuts with the Delaware, Glacier, and Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestras, as well as a performance of Jocelyn Morlock’s Lucid Dreams with the Windsor Symphony. Previous highlights include appearances with the Calgary and Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestras and numerous symphony orchestras across North America.
An active recitalist, Mesa performs regularly on major chamber music series and at leading institutions. This season marks the launch of a national recital tour with pianist Michelle Cann, with appearances presented by organizations including Chamber Music Pittsburgh, Linton Chamber Music, The Schubert Club, and the University of Vermont’s Lane Series. Additional performances include appearances at the Phillips Collection, Bargemusic, and Key West Impromptu Classical Concerts.
Mesa’s recordings include Division of Memory (PARMA Recordings), which received critical acclaim, as well as recent releases featuring tango works with bandoneonist JP Jofre and world-premiere recordings by Black and Latinx composers with Michelle Cann, featured on WQXR. He has also collaborated extensively with the multiple GRAMMY Award–winning vocal ensemble The Crossing Choir and appears on the GRAMMY-nominated album Bonhoeffer.
A committed educator and ensemble musician, Mesa has toured with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and serves as principal cellist of Sphinx Virtuosi. He holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Northwestern University, and the Manhattan School of Music, and performs on a 1767 Nicolò Gagliano cello, generously loaned by CANIMEX Inc.
