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 as a sideman with Billy Strings, the Bryan Sutton Band, Jim Lauderdale, Missy Raines, Becky Buller, and countless others. Now a resident of Nashville, TN, he is cultivating new and original music – not ignorant of the great traditions that preceded him.

Cassell’s new album, What You Need to Prove, is his first collection of original vocal material, following the acclaimed 2018 instrumental album Voyager.

In 2021 Cassell was named the National Mandolin Champion. He was also named the 2020 Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, 2021 FreshGrass Mandolin Champion, 2016 Rockygrass Mandolin Champion, and is 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.