Classical Music News

Cellist Tommy Mesa Joins Faculty at Manhattan School of Music

January 20, 2025

2 MIN READ

The winner of the Sphinx Organization’s 2023 Medal of Excellence, Mesa has previously taught at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and the Sphinx Performance Academy, among others

The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) recently announced that the Cuban-American cellist Tommy Mesa will join the school's strings faculty in the Fall of 2025.

As a soloist, Mesa has appeared with 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 – and at the Supreme Court of the United States on four occasions.

Mesa is highly committed to new music and has given the premiere performances of works by Terence Blanchard and Michael Abels. He was also the soloist for the premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s cello concerto, which he also recorded on the Deutsche Grammophon label in 2023.

As a pedagogue, he has held positions at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Sphinx Performance Academy, The Heifetz Institute’s Junior Division and 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.

"We are thrilled to welcome Tommy Mesa to the cello department at Manhattan School of Music," said JT Kane, Dean of Instrumental Studies and Orchestral Performance. "Tommy’s artistry and versatility as a cellist, combined with his innovative spirit and dedication to teaching, will bring tremendous energy and inspiration to MSM. His presence will undoubtedly enrich our students, and his innovative approach to performance and dedication to nurturing the next generation of musicians make him a perfect fit for the MSM Community."

"I’m honored to join the MSM cello faculty and energized by the opportunity to build a studio among colleagues who I’ve admired for decades," Mesa said. "There is nothing more gratifying than mentoring the next generation of young artists and giving them the tools they need to succeed as professionals."