Events

Andrew Constantine, conductor
Thomas Mesa, cello

Matinees are your chance to experience the music you love with the convenience of an earlier start time. Matinees are made possible by Rikki and Leonard Goldstein.

Rising star Thomas Mesa joins the Fort Wayne Philharmonic to showcase the versatility and rich qualities of the cello. The performance begins with Jessie Montgomery’s Divided, a recent work which addresses the fast-paced realities of modern life and explores the ongoing question “How do we regain control and find beauty among the chaos?” Following is Tchaikovsky’s much loved Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 for cello and orchestra, a diverse group of expressive miniatures and an endearing homage to Tchaikovsky’s idol, Mozart.

Felix Mendelssohn’s love for the British Isles is well known and his Symphony No. 3, often titled the Scottish, delves into many aspects of that country’s rugged and beautiful terrain as well as the Celtic character.

For venue information, click here.

PROGRAM

JESSIE MONTGOMERY      Divided for solo cello and string orchestra
Tommy Mesa, cello

TCHAIKOVSKY                    Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
Tommy Mesa, cello

MENDELSSOHN                  Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 (Scottish)

The Cuban-American cellist Thomas Mesa has established himself as one of the most charismatic, innovative, and engaging performers of his generation. Mr. Mesa was the winner of the $50,000 First Prize in the 2016 Sphinx Competition; the Thaviu Competition for String Performance (Chicago, 2013); The Astral Artists 2017 National Auditions; and the Alhambra Orchestra Concerto Competition.  He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the United States and Mexico, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Santa Barbara Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra which received this rave review from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: “A listener with closed eyes would have been hard pressed to distinguish [Mesa’s] shapely, expressive performance from that of another gifted artist two or three times his age.”

As a recitalist, appearances include the Mainly Mozart Festival, The Academy of Arts and Letters in NYC, Bargemusic, University of Miami’s Signature Series, Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Columbia University, Flagler Museum, Carnegie Hall, The U.S. Supreme Court, The Heifetz Institute, California Center for the Arts, Meadowmount School of Music, Strad for Lunch Series, International Beethoven Project, Perlman Music Program Alumni Recital, and universities nationwide. Learn more here.