Cellist Tommy Mesa Announces 2026-2027 Season Highlights

Cuban-American cellist Dr. Tommy Mesa announces his 2026-2027 season, a schedule that pairs the unveiling of two new concerti with an extensive slate of recital and chamber music engagements across the United States and Mexico. Mesa makes his Dallas Symphony Orchestra debut in March 2027 in the world premiere of Michael Abels' Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, a work he goes on to perform and record with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. He also returns to Carnegie Hall with the American Composers Orchestra for the New York premiere of Stephen Hartke's Da Pacem for cello and orchestra. In recital, Mesa tours with pianist Olga Kern – with a studio recording to follow – and appears in duo programs across the country with pianist Ilya Yakushev and organist Greg Zelek. The season follows the February 2026 release of Mesa's second solo album, 17(67), on Azica Records.

This season follows a 2025-2026 season in which Mesa stepped in as soloist in Wynton Marsalis's new Cello Concerto for the Detroit performance of Interlochen Center for the Arts' four-city tour Imagine US: Celebrating America at 250, joining Interlochen Arts Academy students and members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Interlochen Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Cristian Măcelaru in a program launching Interlochen's centennial celebration. He also gave the New York City premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's The Canticle of the Sun with Voices of Ascension; released his second solo album, 17(67), on Azica Records; appeared with the Greenville Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and San Antonio Philharmonic; continued his collaboration with The Crossing; gave debuts at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Bender JCC of Greater Washington, the Cleveland Institute of Music, New Orleans Friends of Music, and the Virginia Arts Festival, and was appointed to the cello faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

Mesa opens the 2026-2027 season on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, with a performance of Sofia Gubaidulina's The Canticle of the Sun, a work for cello, chorus, and percussion originally written in 1999 that he introduced to New York audiences for the first time with Voices of Ascension earlier in 2026.

In October, Mesa and pianist Olga Kern bring a shared recital program of works by Beethoven, Copland, Barber, Adolphus Hailstork, and Andrea Casarrubios to three presenters in consecutive performances: the Birmingham Chamber Music Society on Thursday, October 15, 2026; Chamber Music Raleigh on Friday, October 16, 2026; and Dumbarton Concerts on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The duo enters the studio following the tour to record together for a forthcoming release.

Mesa performs a recital as part of Western New Mexico University's President's Chamber Music Series in Silver City, NM on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, before joining the San Juan Symphony for Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, conducted by Thomas Heuser, in Durango, CO on Saturday, November 7, 2026 and in Farmington, NM on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The performances mark his debut with the orchestra.

On Sunday, November 15, 2026, Parlance Chamber Concerts presents Mesa in Café Music, an all-star chamber program featuring violinist Kevin Zhu, pianist Albert Cano Smit, clarinetist Anton Rist, bassoonist William Short, trumpeter Billy R. Hunter, Jr., and guitarist Rupert Boyd, with works by Martinů, Rossini, Piazzolla, James Grant, and Paul Schoenfield.

Mesa begins 2027 in San Antonio, TX, with Harmonium of Texas on Sunday, January 10, 2027, joining violinist Elena Urioste and pianist Jeffrey Kahane in Beethoven's Triple Concerto, conducted by Stephanie Childress. The performance comes in the inaugural season of Harmonium of Texas, the new orchestra and educational initiative founded by Kahane, and forms part of the first installment of the orchestra's Beethoven Bicentenary Celebration. The program also features Mary Kouyoumdjian's Tagh and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D Major.

He then travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for two recitals with pianist Ilya Yakushev, presented by Pro Musica, on Friday, January 15 and Sunday, January 17, 2027, in programs featuring works by Beethoven, Schumann, Piazzolla, Barber, Teresa Carreño, Casarrubios, Ernesto Lecuona, Bloch, Shostakovich, Lera Auerbach, and Debussy. Mesa and Yakushev reunite for Impromptu Concerts in Key West, FL on January 24, 2027 at the Tennessee Williams Theater; Friends of Chamber Music of Troy on Saturday, January 30, 2027 at the University at Albany Performing Arts Center; THE 222 in Healdsburg, CA on Friday, February 5, 2027; and at the Howland Chamber Music Circle on Sunday, April 18, 2027.

Mesa joins organist Greg Zelek for three duo performances of original and specially arranged works by Astor Piazzolla, Bach, Remo Giazotto (attributed to Albinoni), Carlos Simon, Nadia Boulanger, and Daniel Ficarri. The pair appears on the Epiphany Catholic Church Recital Series in Miami, FL on Tuesday, January 19, 2027; at Longwood Gardens on Thursday, February 18, 2027; and Charleston Chamber Music Society in Charleston, WV on Saturday, May 1, 2027.

On Wednesday, February 3, 2027, Mesa performs a recital with pianist Marina Radiushina at Palm Beach State College.

Mesa makes his Dallas Symphony Orchestra debut in the world premiere performances of Michael Abels' Cello Concerto from March 11 to 14, 2027, led by conductor Samuel Lee. Of the 25-minute new work, Abels says, 'My vision for the cello concerto is about Serenity, as in the Serenity Prayer that is used in 12-Step programs: 'God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.' That sentence contains 3 movements, and this piece reflects those concepts of serenity, courage, and wisdom.' The concerto is paired with Bernstein's 'Three Dance Episodes' from On the Town and Dvořák's Symphony No. 8. The concerto is a consortium commission shared with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony. He performs the work again with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra under conductor Mark Russell Smith on Saturday, April 3, 2027 in Davenport, IA, Sunday, April 4, 2027 in Rock Island, IL, and Monday, April 5, 2027 in Macomb, IL, with a recording of the work to follow.

Between the two concerto engagements, Mesa returns to Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 18, 2027 at 7:30 PM with the American Composers Orchestra for New Virtuoso: Low End Theory, led by José Luis Gómez and featuring Mesa alongside violist Jordan Bak. Mesa gives the New York premiere of Stephen Hartke's Da Pacem for cello and orchestra on a program that also includes the world premieres of Malachi Brown's From Birth., Horacio Fernández's Tumbao, and Laura Ortman's Unsurrenderable Glisten of the Ices for orchestra and electronics, plus the New York premiere of Michael Frazier's los quetzales for viola and orchestra.

He reprises Dvořák's Cello Concerto with the Rochester Symphony, led by Music Director Chia-Hsuan Lin, on Saturday, April 24, 2027 at 7:30 PM. The program also includes Saint-Saëns' Danse Bacchanale and Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.

Tommy Mesa 2026-2027 Season Calendar

Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 7:00 PM — The Canticle of the Sun at Peabody Institute — Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD — Link

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 7:30 PM — Birmingham Chamber Music Society Presents Tommy Mesa and Olga Kern in Recital — Jane Hollock Brock Recital Hall, Samford University | Birmingham, AL — Link

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM — Chamber Music Raleigh Presents Tommy Mesa and Olga Kern in Recital — SECU Auditorium, North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh, NC — Link

Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM — Dumbarton Concerts Presents Tommy Mesa and Olga Kern in Recital — Dumbarton Church | Washington, DC — Link

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM — President's Chamber Music Series Presents Cellist Tommy Mesa — Light Hall Theater | Silver City, NM — Link

Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM — San Juan Symphony Presents Romantic Giants (Dvořák Cello Concerto) — Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO — Link

Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00 PM — San Juan Symphony Presents Romantic Giants (Dvořák Cello Concerto) — Henderson Performance Hall, San Juan College | Farmington, NM — Link

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM — Parlance Chamber Concerts Presents Café Music — West Side Presbyterian Church | Ridgewood, NJ — Link

Sunday, January 10, 2027 at 3:30 PM — Harmonium of Texas — Lila Cockrell Theatre | San Antonio, TX — Link

Friday, January 15, 2027 at 5:00 PM and Sunday, January 17, 2027 at 5:00 PM — Pro Musica Presents Tommy Mesa and Ilya Yakushev in Recital — St. Paul's Church Calle del Cardo | San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — Link

Tuesday, January 19, 2027 at 7:30 PM — Epiphany Catholic Church Recital Series Presents Tommy Mesa and Greg Zelek in Recital — Epiphany Catholic Church | Miami, FL — Link

Sunday, January 24, 2027 at 4:00 PM — Impromptu Concerts Presents Tommy Mesa and Ilya Yakushev — Tennessee Williams Theater | Key West, FL — Link

Saturday, January 30, 2027 at 7:30 PM — Friends of Chamber Music of Troy Presents Tommy Mesa and Ilya Yakushev in Recital — University at Albany Performing Arts Center | Albany, NY — Link

Wednesday, February 3, 2027 at 2:00 PM — Palm Beach State College Presents Tommy Mesa and Marina Radiushina in Recital — Duncan Theater | Lake Worth Beach, FL — Link

Friday, February 5, 2027 at 7:00 PM — THE 222 Presents Tommy Mesa and Ilya Yakushev in Recital — THE 222 | Healdsburg, CA — Link

Thursday, February 18, 2027 at 7:30 PM — Longwood Gardens Presents Tommy Mesa and Greg Zelek in Recital — Longwood Gardens Ballroom | Kennett Square, PA — Link

Thursday, March 11, 2027 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, March 13, 2027 at 7:30 PM; Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 PM — Dallas Symphony Orchestra Presents Bernstein & Dvořák (Abels Concerto World Premiere) — Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center | Dallas, TX — Link

Thursday, March 18, 2027 at 7:30 PM — American Composers Orchestra — New Virtuoso: Low End Theory — Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall | New York, NY — Link

Saturday, April 3, 2027 at 7:30 PM — Quad City Symphony Orchestra Presents Masterworks VI: Dvořák Symphony No.8 (Abels Concerto) — Adler Theatre | Davenport, IA — Link

Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 2:00 PM — Quad City Symphony Orchestra Presents Masterworks VI: Dvořák Symphony No.8 (Abels Concerto) — Centennial Hall, Augustana College | Rock Island, IL — Link

Monday, April 5, 2027 at 7:30 PM — Quad City Symphony Orchestra Presents Masterworks VI: Dvořák Symphony No.8 (Abels Concerto) — Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts, Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL — Link

Sunday, April 18, 2027 at 4:00 PM — Howland Chamber Music Circle Presents Tommy Mesa and Ilya Yakushev in Recital — Howland Cultural Center | Beacon, NY — Link

Saturday, April 24, 2027 at 7:30 PM — Rochester Symphony Presents Dreams of Enchantment (Dvořák Cello Concerto) — Mayo Civic Center Presentation Hall | Rochester, MN — Link

Saturday, May 1, 2027 at 7:00 PM — Charleston Chamber Music Society Presents Tommy Mesa and Greg Zelek in Recital — Christ Church United Methodist | Charleston, WV — Link

More About Tommy Mesa

Cuban-American cellist Dr. Tommy Mesa has established himself as one of the most charismatic, innovative, and engaging performers of his generation. The recipient of the 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant and The Sphinx Organization's 2023 Medal of Excellence, its highest honor, Mesa has appeared as a soloist at the Supreme Court of the United States on four occasions and with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The Cleveland Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Orchestra, among many others.

Mesa gave the world premiere of Jessie Montgomery's cello concerto Divided in 2022 and was the exclusive soloist for the work for three seasons, performing at major halls across the United States and Brazil, including Miami's New World Center, Nashville's Schermerhorn Center, and Carnegie Hall. His orchestral recording debut of the work was released in July 2023 on Deutsche Grammophon. In the fall of 2025, Mesa joined the cello faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

In recent seasons, Mesa was the soloist in Wynton Marsalis's Cello Concerto with Interlochen Arts Academy students and members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru, in the second performance of the Interlochen-commissioned work. He performed with the Greenville Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and San Antonio Philharmonic; gave the New York City premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's The Canticle of the Sun with Voices of Ascension; and continued his collaboration with the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning vocal ensemble The Crossing. He served as Artist-in-Residence with the Tucson Symphony. He debuted with orchestras including the Calgary Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Ann Arbor, Columbus, Delaware, Greenwich, Quad City, and Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestras. He has also given debuts at leading series including the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Bender JCC of Greater Washington, the Cleveland Institute of Music, New Orleans Friends of Music, the University of Vermont's Lane Series, The Phillips Collection, Key West Impromptu Classical Concerts, Chamber Music Pittsburgh, Linton Chamber Music in Cincinnati, and The Schubert Club in St. Paul. Other past performances include recitals at The Academy of Arts and Letters, Bay Chamber Concerts, California Center for the Arts, Columbia University, Flagler Museum, The Heifetz Institute, International Beethoven Project, Kaufman Music Center, Meadowmount School of Music, University of Miami's Signature Series, Newport Classical, Perlman Music Program Alumni Recital Series, Strad for Lunch Series, Virginia Arts Festival, and major universities across the United States.

In February 2026, Mesa released his second solo album, 17(67), on Azica Records, a program performed with pianist Yoon Lee on the 1767 Nicolò Gagliano cello from which the recording takes its name. He recently celebrated several additional releases, including a recording of tango works for cello and bandoneon with performer-composer JP Jofre and an album of world-premiere recordings by Black and Latinx composers with pianist Michelle Cann, which was featured in an exclusive showcase on NYC's classical station WQXR. Upcoming albums include collaborations with pianist Olga Kern and The Crossing.

Mesa's first solo album, Division of Memory on the PARMA Recordings label, received reviews including in PianoMania: 'Do not hold your breath for Yo-Yo Ma to record this repertoire, for the just-as-excellent Mesa has the field entirely to himself.' Mesa was featured on the GRAMMY-nominated album Bonhoeffer with the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning group The Crossing. He has appeared with The Crossing as soloist at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, Longwood Gardens, The Winter Garden, and the Theological Seminary in NYC. Mesa and The Crossing also collaborated on the U.S. premiere of Astralis for choir and solo cello by composer Wolfgang Rihm, and have more collaborations and premieres scheduled for future seasons.

As an ensemble musician, Mesa has appeared on nationwide tours with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and as principal cellist of the Sphinx Virtuosi. He also collaborates with Jupiter Chamber Players and has toured with Itzhak Perlman both nationally and internationally.

He has given masterclasses at institutions such as U.C. Berkeley, Boston Conservatory, the Colburn School, DePaul University, Meadowmount School of Music, University of Miami, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Northwestern University, and Walnut Hill School. Previously, he held faculty positions at SUNY Purchase, Sphinx Performance Academy, The Heifetz Institute's PEG Program, Music Mountain Festival and School, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Montecito International Music Festival, St. Petersburg International Music Academy, and The Mozart Academy at John Jay College in New York City.

Mesa's global career launched after becoming the First Prize winner in the 2016 Sphinx Competition and a winner of the 2017 Astral Artists National Auditions. He received his BM from The Juilliard School, MM from Northwestern University, and his DMA from the Manhattan School of Music. His