Feb. 13: Cellist Tommy Mesa Releases New Album, 17(67), on Azica Records

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations 
katy@primoartists.com | 646.801.9406

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Cellist Tommy Mesa Releases 
New Album, 17(67) 

Performed on a 1767 Nicolò Gagliano Cello
Alongside Pianist Yoon Lee, the Album Bridges
Centuries of Musical Expression

Featuring works by Saint-Saëns,
Jocelyn Morlock, Jules Massenet,
Ernesto Lecuona, Florence Price,
Francisco Braga, Andrea Casarrubios,
Marlos Nobre, Jennifer Higdon,
Ernest Bloch, and Kinan Azmeh

Out February 13, 2026 on Azica Records

“Mesa played it magnificently.” – The New York Times

“Mesa made it clear that both marvelous technique and captivating 
interpretation are a part of his music storytelling ability” – Arts Knoxville

“Mesa is in a category all his own.” – Lansing City Pulse

www.tommymesa.com

New York, NY (January 8, 2026) – On Friday, February 13, 2026, Cuban-American cellist Dr. Tommy Mesa releases his second solo album, 17(67), on Azica Records. The recording presents a wide-ranging program that bridges centuries of musical expression.

17(67) draws its meaning from two worlds: 1767, the birth year of the Nicolò Gagliano cello Mesa plays throughout the album, and 67, a wildly popular modern slang term. Together, they frame the album’s central idea: the meeting of tradition and innovation.

“This is the artistic space I cherish most: where historical craftsmanship and modern creativity coexist,” says Mesa. “17(67) pays tribute to the journeys of composers who came before us while championing the voices of my peers, whose music helps shape the classical world of today and tomorrow.”

The repertoire spans eras, styles, and sound worlds – illuminating the cello’s expressive breadth. Saint-Saëns’s The Swan and Massenet’s Méditation offer lyrical landmarks of the Romantic canon, while Florence Price’s Deserted Garden and Ernest Bloch’s Prayer bring deeply rooted spiritual and songlike sensibilities into focus. Works from the early 20th century, such as Francisco Braga’s Anoitecendo, capture atmospheric impressionism shaped by Brazilian color and form. 

Contemporary voices provide a compelling counterbalance, including GRAMMY®-nominated composer Andrea Casarrubios’s fluid Mensajes del Agua and Jocelyn Morlock’s evocative Halcyon. Jennifer Higdon’s Nocturne unfolds in warm, contemplative lines, while Marlos Nobre’s Poema III embraces rhythmic drive and dramatic contrast. 

Two works reflect Mesa’s close artistic relationships. His own arrangements of Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona’s La Comparsa and Florence Price’s Deserted Garden illuminate their melodic beauty through a distinctly personal lens. Concluding with Kinan Azmeh’s A Sad Morning Every Morning – a lament shaped by Middle Eastern inflection and improvisatory expression – the album closes in a contemporary voice that resonates with urgency and humanity.

Heard side-by-side, these pieces reveal how new works can feel as timeless as the classics – and how the canon continually renews itself when placed in modern conversation. 

Mesa extends special thanks to Roger Dubois, founder of Canimex Inc., for generously loaning both the cello and bow heard on this recording. The cello was crafted by Nicolò Gagliano in 1767, and the bow by André Richaume circa 1960. 

17(67) Tracklist
1. Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) – The Swan [02:57]
2. Jocelyn Morlock (1969-2023) – Halcyon [07:03]
3. Jules Massenet (1842-1912) – ”Méditation” from the opera Thaïs [05:07]
4. Ernesto Lecuona (arr. by Tommy Mesa) (1895-1963)  – La Comparsa [02:06]
5. Florence Price (arr. by Tommy Mesa) (1887-1953) – Deserted Garden [02:26]
6. Francisco Braga (1868-1945) – Anoitecendo [03:28]
7. Andrea Casarrubios (b. 1988) – Mensajes del Agua [04:11]
8. Marlos Nobre (1939-2024) – Poema III [04:10]
9. Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) – Nocturne [04:58]
10. Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) – From Jewish Life: Prayer [04:39]
11. Kinan Azmeh (b. 1976) – A Sad Morning Every Morning [05:48]

Total Timing: 46:53

Tommy Mesa, cello
Yoon Lee, piano 

ACD-71390
PRODUCER: Ryan Streber
CO-PRODUCERS: Maïthéna Girault and Dr. Jung-Min “Mina” Lee
RECORDED AT: Oktaven Studio on August 27 and 31, 2024
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Monica Mussulin
COVER PHOTO: Francesca Sacco

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 Lincoln Center’s 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 also joined the cello faculty of the esteemed Manhattan School of Music.

Orchestral and ensemble highlights of the 2025-2026 season include performances with the Greenville Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and San Antonio Philharmonic, giving the New York premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Canticle of the Sun with Voices of Ascension, and renewed collaborations with the multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble, The Crossing Choir. In the recital sphere, Mesa will perform with pianists Olga Kern, Michelle Cann, and Ilya Yakushev, including performance debuts at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Bender JCC of Greater Washington, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and New Orleans Friends of Music, among others. 

In recent seasons, Mesa served as Artist-in-Residence with the Tucson Symphony and 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. Last season, he also gave debuts at leading series, including 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 performance features 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. 

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, which was featured in an exclusive showcase on NYC’s classical station WQXR. Upcoming albums include collaborations with the iconic pianist Olga Kern and The Crossing Choir. 

Mesa’s first solo album, Division of Memory on the PARMA Recordings label, received rave reviews, such as 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-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 renowned 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 principal teachers were Timothy Eddy, Julia Lichten, Hans Jorgen Jensen, Mark Churchill, Ross Harbaugh, and Wells Cunningham. Mesa performs on a Nicolò Gagliano cello made in 1767 and a bow by Andre Richaume, both generously loaned to him by Canimex Inc. in Drummondville, Canada. Learn more at www.tommymesa.com. 

About Yoon Lee
The Special Prize winner of the Anton G. Rubinstein International Piano Competition, Dr. Yoon Lee is a concert pianist, educator, and director active in the New York metropolitan area.

Yoon’s performance of Beethoven has been described as “equal to Beethoven’s virtuosic demands” by the New York Concert Review. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Greene Space,  Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Château de Fontainebleau, the Schumann-Haus Museum in Leipzig, Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, and Seoul Arts Center in addition to many other stages in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her live performances have been featured on WQXR, New York’s leading classical radio station, and KBS, the national television station of South Korea. Yoon has appeared as a soloist with the Carl Maria von Weber Orchestra of Dresden, Germany, the Camerata Forum Internacional in Spain, the Prime Philharmonic of South Korea, and the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra of New York City.

A champion of the repertoire for strings and piano, Yoon Lee collaborates with many international artists, including Shmuel Ashkenasi, Astrid Schween, Timothy Eddy, Colin Carr, Catherine Cho, Laurie Smukler, Zlatomir Fung, Stella Chen, and Timothy Choi, as well as members of the Juilliard String Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, and Orion String Quartet. She has also been the pianist for master classes by Hilary Hahn, Leonidas Kavakos, Steven Isserlis, and Frans Helmerson, among many others. 

Yoon has taught chamber music at The Juilliard School’s Precollege, Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Kneisel Hall’s ACMI, and has served as a jury member at the Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Piano Concerto Competition, the Chamber Music Competition, the YMF Festival by Schubert Club, and the NFMC Junior Music Festival. In sharing her passion and love for chamber music, she serves as the Board of Trustee of the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival, as well as a co-Artistic Director of Noree Chamber Soloists, an ensemble she co-founded in 2017. Yoon received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music and a Graduate Diploma from The Juilliard School. She is currently on the faculty of SUNY Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music and the Heifetz International Music Festival, as well as a staff pianist at The Juilliard School.

Outside of her musical pursuits, Yoon enjoys spending time in her pottery studio, running in Central Park, and cherishing moments with her Havanese pup, Cookie. Learn more at www.yoonleepianist.com. 

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