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 Avery Fisher Artist Program’s 2025, Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Sphinx Organization’s 2023 Medal of Excellence, its highest honor, Mesa has appeared as 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, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Indianapolis, Madison, New Jersey, San Antonio, and Santa Barbara, among others. Mesa gave the world premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s cello concerto Divided in 2022 and has been the exclusive soloist since, performing at major halls across the United States and Brazil including Miami’s New World Center, Nashville’s Schermerhorn Center, and Carnegie Hall.

As an ensemble musician, Mesa has been on tours with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and is the principal cellist of Sphinx Virtuosi who play every year on tour at almost every major venue across the United States. He also collaborates with Jupiter Chamber Players and has toured with Itzhak Perlman both nationally and internationally.

Orchestral and ensemble highlights of the 2025-26 season include performances with the Greenville Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and San Antonio Philharmonic, and giving the New York premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Canticle of the Sun with Voices of Ascension,

Mesa recently celebrated several 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. Upcoming albums include collaborations with the iconic pianist Olga Kern and the multiple GRAMMY-award winning vocal ensemble, The Crossing Choir.

In September 2025, Mesa joined the performance faculty of The Manhattan School of Music. He has given masterclasses at institutions such as U.C Berkeley, Boston Conservatory, the Colburn School, and Northwestern University.

Mesa’s career launched following after becoming the First Prize winner in the 2016 Sphinx Competition and a winner of the 2017 Astral Artists National Auditions. He received his Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School, Master of Music from Northwestern University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music.