Polinger Artists of Excellence Tommy Mesa and Ilya Yakushev

Dr. Tommy Mesa has established himself as one of the most charismatic, innovative, and engaging performers of his generation. 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.

Pianist Ilya Yakushev playing was hailed as “little short of heroic” (New York Times), and his concert with the San Francisco Symphony was named “One of the Top 10 Classical Music Events.

Cello + Piano