蜜柚直播

There鈥檚 never enough time to explore any of it or make meaningful connections.

That鈥檚 why cellist Tommy Mesa is so excited to come to 蜜柚直播 this weekend as the 蜜柚直播 Symphony Orchestra鈥檚 2024 artist-in-residence.

鈥淚 am looking forward to actually spending some time to explore 蜜柚直播,鈥� said Mesa, whose only experience in the Old Pueblo was coming in for a recital with St. Andrew鈥檚 Bach Society in summer 2023 and leaving shortly afterward. 鈥淭o actually have some down time will be great because I鈥檓 going there twice.鈥�

Mesa鈥檚 artist-in-residency kicks off this weekend with a chamber concert at the intimate 蜜柚直播 Symphony Center and resumes in December for a concerto performance with the full orchestra at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.

鈥淎s a soloist, it is a cool thing to partner with an orchestra and to come into a community and sort of bring your vision for programming and bring what you鈥檙e excited about and what鈥檚 on your mind and make it sort of a kind of thing you share, a part of yourself, with that community,鈥� the Cuban-American cellist said during a late September phone interview. 鈥淚 really like that idea.鈥�

Usually, soloists come in for one concert, then leave.

Mesa is getting a two-fer out of the deal.

鈥淲ith 蜜柚直播 it was an opportunity to do that very thing in the community and also wrap it around a concerto engagement,鈥� said the 34-year-old Miami, Florida, native, who won the prestigious Sphinx Medal of Excellence . 鈥淭hat鈥檚 such a unique thing because usually you are in and out. 鈥� I鈥檒l actually get to know people and be able to talk to them and get to know them a little bit before I come back for the concerto.鈥�

Mesa curated this weekend鈥檚 鈥淪chubert鈥檚 Cello Concerto鈥� chamber concert, which features TSO violinists Joseph Rousos-Hammond and Emily Chao, violists Ann Weaver and Candice Amato and cellist Anne Gratz. The ensemble will perform the concert twice to open the TSO Up Close chamber series at 蜜柚直播 Symphony Center.

The Schubert Quintet anchors the program, which includes two works by young female composers 鈥� Spanish-born Andrea Casarrubios and Pulitzer Prize-winning American Caroline Shaw.

Mesa commissioned Casarrubios during the pandemic to write 鈥淪even鈥� for solo cello. She was one of three young composers he tapped during the lockdown to 鈥渢hrow themselves into a project in this time period when everyone didn鈥檛 know what was happening,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t was so uncertain,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was so frustrating and so taxing emotionally. I felt like people needed an outlet to get things out,鈥� Mesa said.

Casarrubio鈥檚 haunting and moving 鈥淪even鈥� was a nod to the essential workers who kept the country running while everyone was forced to stay home. Every night at 7, all around the country and world, folks would stand on their balconies and applaud the doctors, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, police and grocery store workers.

In the 10-minute work, the composer, who also is a cellist, wrote deeply moving musical language that conveys the emotions we all were feeling back in 2020, Mesa said.

鈥淭his piece is very special,鈥� he said, explaining how the work ends with seven pizzicato notes that sound like a clock tolling the hour. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful piece and it has essentially become a part of the (cello) cannon.鈥�

Mesa recorded 鈥淪even鈥� and the two other commissions 鈥� Carlos Simon鈥檚 鈥淪ilence鈥� and Stephanie Ann Boyd鈥檚 鈥淎lleluia Olora鈥� 鈥� on 鈥淪ongs of Isolation鈥� in 2022.

Shaw鈥檚 2012 work 鈥淟imestone & Felt鈥� for cello and viola is a piece Mesa has performed only once.

鈥淚 remember absolutely loving the piece,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t can鈥檛 be more different from 鈥楽even.鈥� It鈥檚 going to be the ultimate contrast because that piece sounds kind of like a semi-hoedown. It really is like a party for both instruments.鈥�

Mesa said the cello and viola create that contrast of felt (soft) and limestone (hard).

鈥淭he way they intertwine is so exciting and beautiful. But that sort of contrast ... you can hear that in the way (Shaw) approaches the techniques of the instruments,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 pizzicatos and kind of rips of the strings in pizzicato and the expressive playing. Texture and sound and that contrast (are) such a compelling part of the piece.鈥�

Then there鈥檚 the Schubert, which Mesa calls the gem. And performing it in an intimate setting is 鈥渨here that chamber music was born and that鈥檚 where it lives best,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t feels like you are experiencing something that is exclusive and special,鈥� he said.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at 蜜柚直播 Symphony Center, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Tickets are $25 through or by calling the box office, 520-882-8585.

Mesa returns to 蜜柚直播 for 鈥淗aydn and Brahms鈥� with guest conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong to perform Haydn鈥檚 Cello Concerto and Jessie Montgomery鈥檚 鈥淒ivided,鈥� a response to the social and political unrest and a world that, since 2020, seems in constant crisis over racial and social injustice, greed and poverty, sexual or religious discrimination and climate change, according to Montgomery鈥檚 program notes.

Performances are Dec. 13 and 15 at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets are available through .