BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:167@grandpianoseries.org DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Easter:20160613T193000 DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Easter:20160613T210000 DTSTAMP:20260129T171934Z URL:https://grandpianoseries.org/events/tommy-mesa-milana-strezeva/ SUMMARY:Tommy Mesa & Milana Strezeva DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\n \;\n\nCuban-American cellist Dr. Tommy Mesa has established himself as one of the most charismatic\, innovative\, and enga ging performers of his generation. The recipient of Lincoln Center’s 20 25 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Organization’s 2023 Medal of Excellence\, its highest honor\, Mesa has appeared as soloist at the Supr eme Court of the United States on four occasions and with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl\, The Clevel and Orchestra\, The Philadelphia Orchestra\, and the symphony orchestras o f Indianapolis\, Madison\, New Jersey\, San Antonio\, and Santa Barbara\, among others. Mesa gave the world premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s cello concerto Divided in 2022 and has been the exclusive soloist since\, perfor ming 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.\n\nIn addition to serving as Artist in Residence with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in the 2024-25 season\, orchestral highligh ts this season include debuts with the Delaware\, Glacier\, and Rogue Vall ey Symphony Orchestras as well as the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia\, a return to the Madison Symphony\, and a performance of the rarely heard L ucid Dreams by Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock with the Windsor Symphony . Last season Mesa celebrated enthusiastic performances with the Calgary a nd Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestras and the Ann Arbor\, Columbus\, Green wich\, Knoxville\, Quad City\, and Reading  Symphony Orchestras\, among o thers.\n\n\n\n“[Milana Strezeva] Technically fluid\, dramatically convin cing\, and sonically full-bodied supportive collaborations.” - Boston Gl obe\n\nMilana Strezeva is an accomplished pianist\, founding member of the Manhattan Piano Trio\, and co-founder of the Grand Piano Series.  Milana 's experience as a stellar performer and strategic arts executive has come together at the Grand Piano Series\, where she has demonstrated an innate ability to foster collaborations and contribute positively to community e nrichment through music.\n\nUnder Milana’s excellent stewardship and an unwavering commitment to artists\, the Grand Piano Series has grown and fl ourished since its founding in 2016.  As President and Artistic Director of the organization for the past eight years\, Milana has demonstrated a m eticulous approach to cultivating fiscal health and innovative growth\, ga rnering admiration across Southwest Florida and beyond.\n\nCritics have pr aised Milana for her “technically fluid\, dramatically convincing\, and sonically full-bodied supportive collaborations” (Boston Globe). At the age of 11\, she began playing chamber music with her clarinetist father an d her mother\, a renowned soprano\, Svetlana Strezeva. Milana’s love for family collaboration eventually grew into a passionate advocacy of vocal and instrumental chamber music.\n\nA founding member of the award-winning Manhattan Piano Trio\, one of the most creative and dynamic ensembles in A merica\, Milana has performed in more than 30 American states\, in Austral ia\, South Africa\, and Italy\, and venues such as Alice Tully Hall (Linco ln Center)\, Merkin Hall (Kaufman Music Center)\, and the Ravinia Festival (Chicago).  The Washington Post described the Trio as “impressive” a nd “outstanding\,” while the Sarasota Herald-Tribune said\, “One sel dom is privileged to enjoy the music of such a wide range of styles perfor med with self-effacing skill and relaxed assurance.”\n\nMilana has recei ved her training at The Juilliard School as a student of Bella Davidovich and Julian Martin.\n\n\n\n\n\nProgram\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBeethoven: Variations On "Bei Männern\, Welche Liebe Fühlen" In E-Flat Major\, WoO 46\n\nDebu ssy: Sonata for Cello and Piano\n\nPaganini/Silva: Mosè-fantasia\, MS 23 - Variations on one string on a theme by Rossini\n\nPenderecki: Capriccio per Siegfried Palm\n\nSchumann: 5 Stücke im Volkston Op. 102\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n \;\n\n\n\nGet Tickets\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://i0.wp.com/grandpianoseries.org/wp-conten t/uploads/2026/01/thomas-mesa.webp?fit=1436%2C920&ssl=1 CATEGORIES:Past Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Pacific/Easter X-LIC-LOCATION:Pacific/Easter BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20160514T210000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:-06 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR