Biography
László Mező
Born in Budapest, Hungary, László Mező began cello studies at age six and emerged early as one of the leading musicians of his generation. At 18, he won First Prize at the Kertész Ottó Memorial Competition, followed by international honors at the Antonio Janigro Junior International Competition, the International Dávid Popper Competition for Young Cellists, and the International Dávid Popper Cello Competition. In 2008, he won First Prize at the Ima Hogg International Competition in Houston.
His career has developed across solo performance, recital work, chamber music, orchestral playing, principal cello work, and studio recording. He has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, with appearances ranging from concerto broadcasts to chamber recitals and film-score sessions.
As a soloist, Mező has appeared with conductors including Ádám Fischer, Thomas Wilkins, Grant Llewellyn, and Zsolt Hamar. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with pianists Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Steven Vanhauwaert, Gábor Farkas, Márta Gulyás, Piotr Folkert, and Balázs Szokolay; violinist Kristóf Baráti; cellist Philipp Muller; and the Bartók Quartet. He has also performed under Zubin Mehta and Kent Nagano as a member of the Bayerische Staatsorchester in Munich.
Mező holds master’s degrees from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music in Budapest and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and he studied at the University of Southern California with Ralph Kirshbaum. His recordings include a Hungaroton album of Dávid Popper works featuring first recordings of several pieces, and the album Made in Paris, centered on Romantic cello repertoire.
