“…. Tommy Mesa has been awarded with a Sphinx Medal of Excellence, one of the highest honours bestowed by the Sphinx Organization. He is one of three recipients alongside soprano Aundi Marie Moore and composer Joel Thompson….”
“….Tommy Mesa dreamed of playing the drums, then unexpectedly fell in love with the (nearly human) sound of the cello. As part of our video series, WRTI Presents Astral, this Cuban-American Astral Artist recently visited the WRTI Performance Studio and played three works….”
“…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 appeared by special arrangement with Sphinx Organization, which is focused on increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music and recognizing excellence. He gave a splendid account of the piece, shaping its tender, simple tunes with winning sincerity and delivering its challenging passages with effortless panache.”
“Cellist Tommy Mesa and pianist Michelle Cann, along with the Sphinx Organization and PARMA Recordings, have teamed to spearhead a push to find more composers of color.”
“…Mesa play it magnificently”
“Perhaps the most emotionally resonating part of the entire concert was the solo performance of Andrea Casarrubios’ “SEVEN”….Mesa’s rendition was greeted by a standing ovation from the Madison faithful, proving to be among the standout performances of the night.”
“…they had the audience eating out of their hands from the moment they walked on stage to the very last note. [Thomas and Ilya] were our favorite performers to have at the Wildflower Festival.”
