Thomas Blanchard
- Teaching Artists
- Available Teaching Artists
- Thomas Blanchard
- Available Teaching Artists
Thomas Blanchard
- More Information
- Related Ensembles
- Related Assemblies
- Related Workshops
Tom was born in Fairfax, Virginia, and received his Bachelor of Music at the University of Michigan. He received a Master of Music and a Performance Certificate from Temple University. Tom has performed in England, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Japan. In the United States, he has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Walt Disney World, and at the Pan-American Games. He has also performed in several music festivals in Spoleto (Italy), Berlin (Germany), and Salzburg (Austria). Tom has recorded on Deutsche Grammophon, Phillips, Decca-London, EMI, New World Records, Equilibrium, Denon, and Albany Records, and has been heard on NPR, CBS, The Today Show, and the Disney Channel.
Tom has performed with a wide rage of artists including Ray Charles, Anne Murray, Stevie Wonder, Bernadette Peters, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, Toni Tennille, Donny Osmond, and others. Currently, Tom is Principal Timpanist, Principal Percussionist, Artistic Administrator and Personnel Manager with the Lancaster Symphony. He also performs with the Delaware, Harrisburg, Reading, Kennett Square, and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestras, and with Opera Delaware. Last year, he appeared on QVC television with pianist Giovanni, and he regularly performs, records, and tours with The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Most recently, Tom has performed New Zealand composer Carl Vine’s Percussion Symphony with the Bogota Philharmonic (Colombia), and with the Temptations and Mary Wilson of the Supremes.
Tom began playing percussion at age six, beating on his parent’s pots and pans while his sister sang Andrews Sisters songs. He lives with his wife Karen (soprano with the Opera Company of Philadelphia), son Justin, daughter Amelia, and a 22 pound cat named Muti. Tom enjoys exploring books, Civil War battlefields, golf, and traveling.
Tom has been on Musicopia’s roster since 2003 with the Phil-A-Rhythm Percussion Quartet, which performs Shake, Scrape and Strike and Percussions Round the World assemblies, as well as percussion workshops for students of all ages and abilities.