MacArthur Fellow and Grammy® Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter Chris Thile, who The Guardian calls “that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style, from bluegrass to classical,” and NPR calls a “genre-defying musical genius,” is a founding member of the critically acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. 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).
As described by the composer, Chris Thile, “this new piece (which I promise will have a real corker of a title by the time you hear it!) is a big ol’ narrative song cycle/mandolin concerto that tells, plays, and sings the true story of the time I attempted to impress a Starbucks executive and accidentally met Carrie Fisher as a result. It’s a DOOZY, and I’m thrilled beyond expression to perform it in collaboration with your intrepid Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Arts Festival”.