Chris Thile

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Courtesy Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech

"The virtuoso mandolinist and guitarist Chris Thile is that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style, from bluegrass to classical." — The Guardian

Acclaimed Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and MacArthur Fellow recipient of the prestigious “Genius Grant,” Chris Thile is a multifaceted musical talent, described by The Guardian as "that rare being: an all-round musician,” and hailed by NPR as a "genre-defying musical genius." 

The wide-ranging program of Thile’s 2025-2026 solo performances will feature selections from his acclaimed solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas — including the upcoming second volume out this autumn — alongside his signature mix of classical, folk, and improvisational brilliance. 

Thile is a founding member of the highly influential string bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek and has collaborated with countless luminaries from Yo-Yo Ma to Fiona Apple to Brad Mehldau. For four years, Thile hosted public radio favorite Live from Here with Chris Thile (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion). With his broad outlook, Thile creates a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike, giving the listener “one joyous arc, with the linear melody and vertical harmony blurring into a single web of gossamer beauty” (New York Times).

Over the last year, Thile has been touring with Nickel Creek in support of the critically acclaimed 2023 release Celebrants and captivating audiences with a playfully ambitious biographical composition, ATTENTION! (a narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinist and orchestra).

This is Thile's first performance at the center.

Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

This performance will last approximately 90 to 105 minutes with no intermission.

*Run times listed here are based on information provided at this time and are subject to change.

Category A - $65 | Category B - $45 | Category C - $25 | $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under

15%-25% subscription discounts available

Individual tickets on sale Thursday, July 31, 10 AM

Click here to purchase tickets.