Tom Sherwood is the Principal Percussionist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. A native of Fairfax, Virginia, his musical career began at a young age when he discovered his father’s old drum set packed away in the garage. He graduated with his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.  A student of Tom Siwe, he was the youngest recipient of the Edgar Varese Memorial Scholarship. He went on to earn his Master of Music from Temple University, where he studied with Alan Abel (former Associate Principal Percussionist of the Philadelphia Orchestra). Tom made his solo debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the 2004-2005 season, performing Tan Dun’s Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Robert Spano. He can be heard with the ASO on Telarc and Deutsche Grammophon recordings. Prior to joining the ASO, Tom performed regularly with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, and was also a member of the New World Symphony. An active teacher and clinician, he has presented masterclasses at the 2001 and 2003 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. Tom is an endorser of Pearl Drums, Adams Musical Instruments, and Pro-Mark.