Biography

Originally from the sacred bluegrass mountains of southwestern Virginia, Thomas Cassell is among the highest rank of modern bluegrass musicians. Cassell is a founding member of respected progressive group Circus No. 9, and has performed with Billy Strings, the Bryan Sutton Band, Jim Lauderdale, Missy Raines, Becky Buller, and countless others. Now a resident of Nashville, he is cultivating new and progressive original music – not ignorant of the great traditions that preceded him.

In 2021 Cassell was named the National Mandolin Champion in Winfield, KS. He is also the 2021 FreshGrass Mandolin Champion, 2020 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year, 2016 Rockygrass Mandolin Champion, and a two-time alum of the prestigious Acoustic Music Seminar in Savannah Georgia, where he collaborated with artists including Darrell Scott, Bryan Sutton, Mike Marshall, Aoife O’Donovan, Kaia Kater, and Julian Lage.

Cassell holds an MA in Appalachian Studies from East Tennessee State University, and teaches mandolin instruction at University of the South.