László Mező

Cello

Born in Budapest, Hungary, László Mező gained national recognition as one of the top musicians of his generation when he won First Prize in the “Kertész Ottó Memorial Competition” at the young age of 18. Since then, he has won numerous other competitions which have brought him international recognition, including the Fourth Prize in the “Antonio Janigro Junior International Competition” in 1998, Second Prize in the “International Dávid Popper Competition for Young Cellists” in 2000, the Special Prize in the “International Dávid Popper Cello Competition” in 2004 and First Prize in the “Ima Hogg International Competition” in 2008. Mező has forged a career as a soloist, recitalist, master teacher, and chamber musician. He has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Always eager to pass on his knowledge, Mező has conducted master classes in Japan, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and the United States. 

Mező is currently an adjunct professor of cello at Chapman University and Saddleback College in California, and he was an assistant teacher at the University of Southern California between 2007 and 2008. 

As a soloist, Mező has performed with maestros Ádám Fischer, Thomas Wilkins, Grant Llewellyn, and Zsolt Hamar. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated in recitals 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 played under the direction of Zubin Mehta and Kent Nagano as a member of the Bayerische Staatsorchester in Munich, Germany. 

Mező holds two master’s degrees from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music in Budapest and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. He graduated from the class of Ralph Kirshbaum at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Mező has also participated in the master classes of Uzi Wiesel, Josef Podhoransky, Othmar Müller, Philippe Müller, Rainer Zipperling, Fenyves Lóránd, Wolfgang Boettcher and Aldo Parisot. 

Currently residing in Los Angeles, Mező is a sought-after soloist and an active studio musician in Hollywood. He has played in many film scores; some most updated blockbusters include Ice Age, Life of Pi, The Wolverine, and The Lone Ranger. Mező’s first CD recording of Dávid Popper’s works on the Hungaroton label includes several first-time recordings of the master’s cello works. He recently finished his second CD, Made in Paris, with romantic cello pieces from the 19th century, also featuring world premiere works by cellist-composer Daniel Van Goens and pieces from the Suite Populaire Espagnole by Manuel De Falla.