Christopher Scott Thile (; born February 20, 1981) is an American
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
ist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
and the acoustic folk and progressive bluegrass quintet
Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers is an American band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), Gabe Witcher (fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Chris Eldridge (guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). Their style has been described as "bluegrass instrumentation and spontane ...
. He is a
2012 MacArthur Fellow. From 2016 to its cancellation in 2020, he hosted the radio variety show ''
Live from Here
''Live from Here'', formerly known as ''A Prairie Home Companion with Chris Thile'', is an American variety radio show known for its musical guests, tongue-in-cheek radio drama, and relaxed humor. Hosted by Chris Thile, it aired live on Saturda ...
''.
Biography
The three members of Nickel Creek met in 1989 at
Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad is a coastal city in the North County region of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is south of downtown Los Angeles and north of downtown San Diego. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 114,746. ...
's That Pizza Place, listening to weekly bluegrass shows with their parents. Their first album, ''
Little Cowpoke
Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt
* ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film
*The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
'', was released on December 31, 1993. Later albums included ''
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
'' and ''
This Side
''This Side'' is the Grammy-winning third album by the progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek, released on Sugar Hill in the summer of 2002. It gained attention in indie rock circles due to the group's recording of a Pavement song, " Spit on ...
'', which went platinum and won a
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
for Best Contemporary Folk Album, respectively. In 2005, Nickel Creek released ''
Why Should the Fire Die?
''Why Should The Fire Die?'' is the third major album release and fifth album overall by progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. The album was released on Sugar Hill on August 9, 2005, in the United States, and on August 8 in the United Kingdom.L ...
'', which received critical acclaim and sold 250,000 units.
Thile has also released solo albums, including
''Not All Who Wander Are Lost'' (2001) and 2004's
''Deceiver'', on which he wrote, composed, sang, and played every part. In 2008, Thile released a collaboration album with bassist
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
, and he also plans to release a collaborative album with
Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist. She has performed throughout the world as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors and as a recitalist. She is an avid supporter of contemporary classical music, and several ...
.
Personal life
In 2003, Thile married fashion designer Jesse Meighan. The couple divorced in 2004, after 18 months of marriage.
Thile married actress
Claire Coffee
Claire Elizabeth Coffee (born April 14, 1980) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Adalind Schade in the NBC fantasy drama ''Grimm''.
Early life
Coffee grew up in Monterey, California. She attended the Santa Catalina School ...
on December 23, 2013. Coffee and Thile have a son named Calvin Eugene Thile, born on May 15, 2015.
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
member
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
is Thile's great-great-great-great-uncle.
History
1981–2000: Early life and career
Thile was born in
Oceanside, California
Oceanside is a city on the South Coast (California), South Coast of California, located in San Diego County, California, San Diego County. The city had a population of 167,086 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The city is a popular ...
, in 1981. His earliest memories of music are listening to
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...
's recording of "
The Girl from Ipanema
"Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl from Ipanema") is a Brazilian bossa nova and jazz song. It was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s and won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. It was written in 1962, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Por ...
" before he even turned one year old. When he was two, his family started going to That Pizza Place, where he listened to John Moore's band Bluegrass Etc. When Thile was four, his family moved to
Idyllwild, California.
Thile began playing the mandolin at the age of five, taking occasional lessons from John Moore. At age eight, Thile's family and the Watkins family formed
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
. The band performed at many California bluegrass festivals, and as a result Chris had to be
home-schooled
Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
. At age twelve, he won the mandolin championship at the
Walnut Valley Festival
The Walnut Valley Festival is an acoustic music festival held annually in Winfield, Kansas, United States. The main genre of music is bluegrass, but a wide variety of other acoustic styles are represented. The festival is held on the Wednesday ...
in
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College.
Hi ...
.
That same year, 1993, Thile made a demo tape and sent it to the Sugar Hill and Rounder record labels. Both labels showed interest, but the Thiles went with Sugar Hill. The next year, Chris Thile released his first solo album, ''
Leading Off'', featuring mostly original compositions.
In 1995, the Thile family moved to
Murray, Kentucky
Murray is a home rule-class city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of Calloway County and the 19th-largest city in Kentucky. The city's population was 17,741 during the 2010 U.S. census, and its micropolitan area's po ...
, where Chris' father Scott Thile accepted a position at
Murray State University
Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, H ...
as a musical instrument technician. In 1997, Chris released ''
Stealing Second'' and Nickel Creek released ''
Here to There
This article represents the discography of progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek. They have released six studio albums, one compilation album, as well as eight singles. Their debut live album was announced on October 2, 2020.
Nickel Creek's fi ...
''. Chris went on to attend
Murray State University
Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, H ...
for a few semesters, where he was a music major.
In 2000, he went to
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
to play mandolin on
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
's bluegrass/Appalachian folk album ''
Little Sparrow
''Little Sparrow'' is the thirty-eighth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on January 23, 2001, by Sugar Hill and Blue Eye Records. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album and ...
''.
2001–2005: ''Wander'' and ''Deceiver''
Following the major success of the album ''
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
'', Thile released ''
Not All Who Wander Are Lost'' in 2001. The album featured guest appearances from several well-known instrumentalists such as Stuart Duncan,
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...
,
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
,
Jerry Douglas
Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer.
Career
In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he has ...
, and
Bryan Sutton
Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs.
Biography Early career
Sutton's grandfather and ...
.
In 2003, Thile teamed up with mandolinist
Mike Marshall for the duet album ''Into the Cauldron'', which included original pieces as well as pieces by
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
and
J. S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
. Also in 2003, Thile joined
Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
for his double CD set "Thirty-Year Retrospective" which was nominated for a Grammy. In 2004, Thile released ''
Deceiver'', an experimental album on which he recorded every track himself. This included electric guitar, piano, drums, violin, viola, cello, and bass. ''Deceiver'' demonstrated some pop/rock songwriting in addition to "newgrass".
2006–present: Punch Brothers and Edgar Meyer project
![Chris Thile 2008 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Chris_Thile_2008_3.jpg)
In August 2006, Nickel Creek announced that at the end of the year, they would no longer be recording together as a group, and their tour scheduled through 2007 would be their last for an indefinite period of time. In February 2014, the group announced that it would be releasing another album.
Thile was a judge for the fifth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.
In 2006, Thile formed
How to Grow a Band
How To Grow A Band is a 2011 music documentary film about the early days of American progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers. The film stars Chris Thile, Gabe Witcher, Noam Pikelny, Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert and Greg Garrison and features inte ...
, with whom he recorded ''
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground
''How to Grow a Woman from the Ground'' is a 2006 album by Chris Thile and Punch Brothers. It was released on Sugar Hill on September 12, 2006. The album is named after a song on the album; a cover of the original by folk singer Tom Brosseau.
T ...
'', Thile's fifth album. In an interview with the ''Nashville City Paper'', Thile described the band's formation:
The band consisted of Chris Thile (mandolin),
Gabe Witcher
Gabriel Witcher (born June 11, 1978) is a Grammy award winning American multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and arranger, best known as a fiddle player and singer. He is a founding member of the string ensemble Punch Brothers. Witcher and ...
(fiddle/violin),
Chris Eldridge
Chris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer. He is a member of Punch Brothers and frequently performs in a duo with fellow guitarist Julian Lage. He is also the guitarist in the house band on Live From Here. He was a founding member of the ...
(guitar), Greg Garrison (bass), and
Noam Pikelny
Noam Pikelny (born February 27, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American banjoist. He is a member of the group Punch Brothers and was previously in Leftover Salmon as well as the John Cowan Band. Pikelny is a nine-time Grammy Award nominee, win ...
(banjo).
Bryan Sutton
Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs.
Biography Early career
Sutton's grandfather and ...
has also filled in on guitar when necessary while Eldridge played out commitments to
The Infamous Stringdusters
The Infamous Stringdusters are a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band. The band first emerged in 2006 with the limited release of a five-song extended play CD ''The Infamous Stringdusters,'' followed in 2007 by their first album ''Fork in the Road ...
. In 2007, the band officially changed its name first to "The Tensions Mountain Boys" and then "
Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers is an American band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), Gabe Witcher (fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Chris Eldridge (guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). Their style has been described as "bluegrass instrumentation and spontane ...
".
On March 17, 2007, at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
, this group debuted Thile's ambitious "The Blind Leaving the Blind", a 40-minute suite in four movements that Thile told
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
was written in part to deal with his 2004 divorce.
![Chris Thile 2008 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Chris_Thile_2008_1.jpg)
Punch Brothers released its first album, "
Punch
Punch commonly refers to:
* Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist
* Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice
Punch may also refer to:
Places
* Pun ...
", February 26, 2008, on
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Non ...
. The album featured Thile's suite "The Blind Leaving the Blind", as well as other original songs.
To promote "Punch", Thile and Punch Brothers planned a year-long tour in 2008, as well as a February 29 appearance on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ...
''. In late 2008, Paul Kowert replaced Garrison on bass. Punch Brothers released ''
Antifogmatic
''Antifogmatic'' is the second album by Punch Brothers. The album was released June 15, 2010.
Background
''The Paducah Sun'' reported, on February 25, 2010, that the album contains ten songs: “'The new music is a real honest collaboration,' T ...
'' on February 15, 2010, and continued to tour. On November 5, 2010, the band performed "Rye Whiskey" on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' with
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominated ...
guesting on banjo.
Punch Brothers released their third album,
Who's Feeling Young Now?
''Who's Feeling Young Now?'' is the third album by Punch Brothers, released February 14, 2012.
Background
The band Punch Brothers recorded the album at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer/engineer Jacquire King. The album has ...
, in early 2012.
In November 2014, Punch Brothers released a single entitled "I Blew It Off", from their then-untitled fourth album. In December 2014, the band announced the scheduled release of an upcoming album and simultaneous release of another new single, "Julep".
In August 2008, Thile and
bassist
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
announced the release date of the duo's planned debut album. The album was released on Thile's label
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Non ...
on September 23, 2008. Commenting on the collaboration, Thile said "Edgar is one of the biggest influences on my musical life, and now I'm in a duo with him and writing songs with him. This was my dream. I always wondered what it would be like to be playing music this hard." The duo toured in September and October 2008 to promote the album.
In 2012, Thile won a
MacArthur Fellowship
The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to ...
.
In 2014, Thile recorded a new collaborative album with
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
entitled
Bass & Mandolin and embarked on a tour with Meyer to support the album.
Also in 2014, Thile reunited with Nickel Creek to release a new album called ''
A Dotted Line
''A Dotted Line'' is the fourth major album release and sixth studio album overall by progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. Produced by Eric Valentine, the album was released on Nonesuch Records on April 1, 2014, in the United States. '' in celebration of their 25th anniversary. The group also embarked on a national tour titled NC25.
["Nonesuch Releases First Nickel Creek Album in Nine Years, "A Dotted Line," April 1"](_blank)
''Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Non ...
''. February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
Punch Brothers released
The Phosphorescent Blues
''The Phosphorescent Blues'' is the fourth studio album by the American group Punch Brothers, released on January 27, 2015. The band announced the release of the album's first single, "I Blew It Off", on November 17, 2014, On December 4, 2014, th ...
, their fourth album, and The Wireless EP in 2015. They also released their fifth and sixth albums,
All Ashore (album)
''All Ashore'' is the fifth studio album by the American group Punch Brothers, released on July 20, 2018. The band announced the release of the album's first singles "It's All Part of the Plan" and the instrumental "Three Dots and a Dash" on June ...
and
Hell on Church Street
''Hell on Church Street'' is the sixth studio album by the American group Punch Brothers, released on January 14, 2022. The band announced the release of the album's first single "Church Street Blues" on September 28, 2021. The album was self-prod ...
, in 2018 and 2022 respectively.
Side projects
Thile is featured in the documentary ''Bluegrass Journey'', along with the rest of Nickel Creek. He has also appeared on a number of other artists' recordings, including
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...
's ''
Perpetual Motion
Perpetual motion is the motion of bodies that continues forever in an unperturbed system. A perpetual motion machine is a hypothetical machine that can do work infinitely without an external energy source. This kind of machine is impossible, a ...
'', playing arrangements of Baroque, Impressionist, Classical and other styles of music with Fleck and Edgar Meyer; ''Jam Session'', with
Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
,
Frank Vignola
Frank Vignola (born December 30, 1965) is an American jazz guitarist. He has played in the genres of swing, fusion, gypsy jazz, classical, and pop.
Career
Vignola grew up on Long Island, New York. His father played accordion and banjo and ...
,
Bryan Sutton
Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs.
Biography Early career
Sutton's grandfather and ...
, and Jon Burr; the
Dixie Chicks
The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and E ...
' ''Home'',
Kate Rusby
Kate Anna Rusby (born 4 December 1973) is an English English folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, an ...
's ''
Awkward Annie
''Awkward Annie'' is the seventh studio album by English people, English contemporary folk musician Kate Rusby, released on 3 September 2007 on Pure Records. The album is the first to be produced by Rusby herself, following her split with husband ...
'',
Julie Fowlis
Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic.
Early life
Fowlis grew up on North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community. Her mothe ...
's ''
Cuilidh
''Cuilidh'' ("retreat") is the second music album by Scottish people, Scottish musician Julie Fowlis, which in 2008 won her the ''Album of the Year Award'' at the Scots Trad Music Awards and ''Best Folk Singer Award'' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Musi ...
'',
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
's ''
Little Sparrow
''Little Sparrow'' is the thirty-eighth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on January 23, 2001, by Sugar Hill and Blue Eye Records. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album and ...
'',
Dierks Bentley
Frederick Dierks Bentley (; born November 20, 1975) is an American country music singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to Capitol Nashville and released his eponymous debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's ''Modern Day Drifter'', ar ...
's ''Up on the Ridge'',
Jacob Collier
Jacob Collier (; né Moriarty; born 2 August 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His music incorporates a combination of jazz with elements from many other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reha ...
's "
Djesse Vol. 2", and
Sarah Jarosz
Sarah Jarosz ( ; born May 23, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter from Wimberley, Texas. Her first album, ''Song Up in Her Head'', was released in 2009 's ''Song Up in Her Head'' and ''Follow Me Down''.
Thile has performed as a duo with guitarist and vocalist Michael Daves since 2005. They released their debut album, ''Sleep With One Eye Open'', on May 10, 2011. Recorded at
Jack White
John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...
's studio, the album consists of 16 classic bluegrass duets. Jack White also produced and played on the duo's 7" vinyl record ''Man in the Middle'' on
Third Man Records
Third Man Records is an eclectic, vinyl-focused independent record label founded and owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank. The company operates out of three locations—Nashville, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, and Soho, London—with ...
. Thile and Daves met in 2005 at a bluegrass jam at NYC's Baggot Inn.
In 2009 Thile completed a mandolin concerto entitled ''Ad astra per alas porci''. The work was commissioned by a consortium of orchestras including the
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
The Colorado Symphony is an American symphony orchestra located in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1989 as the successor to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony performs in Boettcher Concert Hall, located in the Denver Performing ...
,
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is an American chamber orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. LACO presents its Orchestral Series concerts at two venues, the Alex Theatre in Glendale and UCLA's Royce Hall.
History
James Arkatov, a ...
,
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the 'Portland Symphony Society' in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. I ...
,
Alabama Symphony Orchestra
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra based in Birmingham, Alabama. The orchestra's resident and principal conductor is Christopher Confessore. The Orchestra was first formed in April 1921 but had to close because of financial issu ...
,
Winston-Salem Symphony
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
,
Delaware Symphony Orchestra
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an orchestra based in the Wilmington, Delaware. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra with the Wilmington Music School. The orchestra performs for 55,000 people annual ...
,
Portland Symphony Orchestra The Portland Symphony Orchestra was established in 1923 in Portland, Maine as the Amateur Strand Symphony Orchestra. Started by a small group of musicians who had sent out invitations to join their organization to people in the area, they had their ...
, and
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City.
In ...
. Thile performed the world premiere of the first movement with the Interlochen Arts Camp World Youth Symphony Orchestra under director
Jung-Ho Pak
Jung-Ho Pak (born February 4, 1962 in Burlingame, California) is an American conducting, symphony conductor. He was Artistic Director of the San Diego Symphony and of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, of which he is now Conductor Emeritus. He wa ...
, and premiered his entire concerto with the
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
The Colorado Symphony is an American symphony orchestra located in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1989 as the successor to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony performs in Boettcher Concert Hall, located in the Denver Performing ...
on September 17, 2009.
In 2011, he recorded ''
The Goat Rodeo Sessions
''The Goat Rodeo Sessions'' is a 2011 collaborative album by Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile, featuring Aoife O'Donovan. The album won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album and the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non- ...
'' with cellist
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
, bassist
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
and fiddle player
Stuart Duncan
Stuart Duncan (born April 14, 1964) is an American bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo.
Life
Duncan was born in Quantico, Virginia, and raised in Santa Paula, California, where he played in the school band. He ...
. On October 25, 2011, he appeared on the Tonight Show as a member of the Yo-Yo Ma and Friends musical act. On June 19, 2020, the same group of musicians released a second album entitled ''
Not Our First Goat Rodeo
''Not Our First Goat Rodeo'' is a 2020 collaborative album by Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile, featuring Aoife O'Donovan. It was released on June 19, 2020.
Background
On October 24, 2011, Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar ...
''.
Thile released a solo album entitled ''Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1'' in June 2013. The work comprises three works by
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
written for solo violin: Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001; Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002; and Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003.
For 2018–19, Thile was named to the
Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
.
In 2021 the artist was inter alia part of the
Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a foca ...
in July.
In 2024, Thile provided the singing voice and mandolin performance of Wendell in the
Country Bear Musical Jamboree at
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
's
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...
.
''A Prairie Home Companion / Live from Here''
![2016-01-30CarlileJaroszThilePunchBrosAPHC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/2016-01-30CarlileJaroszThilePunchBrosAPHC.jpg)
Thile made his first appearance on
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...
's radio show ''
A Prairie Home Companion
''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...
'' in 1996, at age 15 and has returned numerous times—as a solo artist, with Nickel Creek, and with Punch Brothers. On February 7 and 14 in 2015 and January 30 and February 6, 2016, he was the show's guest host.
On July 21, 2015, Keillor officially announced that he was leaving the show and that Thile would succeed him as permanent host in 2016. Thile's first show as host took place on October 15, 2016, at the
Fitzgerald Theater
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the home of American Public Media's ''Live from Here'' (formerly '' A Prairie Home Companion''). It was one of many theaters built by the Shubert Theatre Corporatio ...
in St. Paul.
On February 18, 2017, Thile announced that his version of the show had been renewed for another season. On December 16, 2017, at the Town Hall theater in New York, Thile announced that the show would be renamed ''
Live from Here
''Live from Here'', formerly known as ''A Prairie Home Companion with Chris Thile'', is an American variety radio show known for its musical guests, tongue-in-cheek radio drama, and relaxed humor. Hosted by Chris Thile, it aired live on Saturda ...
''. The show continued airing live on public radio until its final show, on May 30, 2020.
American Public Media
American Public Media (APM) is an American company that produces and distributes public radio programs in the United States, the second largest company of its type after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and oper ...
, the producer of the show, halted production as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on shows with live audiences; on June 14, 2020, Minnesota Public Radio announced the show's cancellation.
Awards and nominations
* 1996 – Nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1970 to 2011. Between 1986 and 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist).
In 2012 the award ...
for "Scotland" from ''True Life Blues: The Songs of
Bill Monroe
William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass".
The genre take ...
''
* 1997 –
IBMA award for Album of the Year for ''True Life Blues: The Songs of
Bill Monroe
William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass".
The genre take ...
''
* 2001 – IBMA award for Mandolinist of the Year
* 2002 – Won
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1991 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 2007, this category was renamed Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. As ...
for ''
This Side
''This Side'' is the Grammy-winning third album by the progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek, released on Sugar Hill in the summer of 2002. It gained attention in indie rock circles due to the group's recording of a Pavement song, " Spit on ...
'' (with
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
)
* 2005 – Nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1959. The award had several minor name changes:
* In 1959, the award was known as Best Engineered Record – Non-Classical
* In 1960, it was awarded as Best Engineeri ...
for ''
Deceiver''
* 2006 – Nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1970 to 2011. Between 1986 and 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist).
In 2012 the award ...
for "The Eleventh Reel"
* 2007 –
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
's Folk Musician of the Year
* 2007 – Nominated for IBMA Mandolinist of the Year
* 2008 – Nominated for
Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music around the world. It is a network for Americana artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others with the goal of developi ...
Instrumentalist of the Year
* 2012 – Nominated for
Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album
The Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the bluegrass mu ...
for ''Sleep with One Eye Open'' (with Michael Daves)
* 2012 – MacArthur Fellowship ($500,000 'Genius Grant')
* 2013 – Won
Grammy Award for Best Folk Album
The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the folk genre. Honors in several c ...
for ''
The Goat Rodeo Sessions
''The Goat Rodeo Sessions'' is a 2011 collaborative album by Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile, featuring Aoife O'Donovan. The album won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album and the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non- ...
'' (with
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
,
Stuart Duncan
Stuart Duncan (born April 14, 1964) is an American bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo.
Life
Duncan was born in Quantico, Virginia, and raised in Santa Paula, California, where he played in the school band. He ...
, and
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
)
* 2014 – Won
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (previously: Best Pop Instrumental Album) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording arti ...
for ''Bass & Mandolin'' (with
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
)
* 2015 – Awarded Honorary Doctorate from
The New School
The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
.
* 2019 – Won
Grammy Award for Best Folk Album
The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the folk genre. Honors in several c ...
for ''
All Ashore
''All Ashore'' is a 1953 American comedy musical film directed by Richard Quine and starring Mickey Rooney, Dick Haymes, Peggy Ryan and Ray McDonald.
In the tradition of MGM's ''Anchors Aweigh'' and '' On the Town'', the film tells the stories o ...
'' (with
Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers is an American band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), Gabe Witcher (fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Chris Eldridge (guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). Their style has been described as "bluegrass instrumentation and spontane ...
)
Discography
Solo
Collaborations
Nickel Creek
Punch Brothers
* 2008: ''
Punch
Punch commonly refers to:
* Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist
* Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice
Punch may also refer to:
Places
* Pun ...
''
* 2010: ''
Antifogmatic
''Antifogmatic'' is the second album by Punch Brothers. The album was released June 15, 2010.
Background
''The Paducah Sun'' reported, on February 25, 2010, that the album contains ten songs: “'The new music is a real honest collaboration,' T ...
''
* 2012: ''
Who's Feeling Young Now?
''Who's Feeling Young Now?'' is the third album by Punch Brothers, released February 14, 2012.
Background
The band Punch Brothers recorded the album at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer/engineer Jacquire King. The album has ...
''
* 2012: ''Ahoy!''
P* 2015: ''
The Phosphorescent Blues
''The Phosphorescent Blues'' is the fourth studio album by the American group Punch Brothers, released on January 27, 2015. The band announced the release of the album's first single, "I Blew It Off", on November 17, 2014, On December 4, 2014, th ...
''
* 2015: ''The Wireless''
P* 2018: ''
All Ashore
''All Ashore'' is a 1953 American comedy musical film directed by Richard Quine and starring Mickey Rooney, Dick Haymes, Peggy Ryan and Ray McDonald.
In the tradition of MGM's ''Anchors Aweigh'' and '' On the Town'', the film tells the stories o ...
''
* 2022: ''
Hell on Church Street
''Hell on Church Street'' is the sixth studio album by the American group Punch Brothers, released on January 14, 2022. The band announced the release of the album's first single "Church Street Blues" on September 28, 2021. The album was self-prod ...
''
Mutual Admiration Society
* 2004 ''
Mutual Admiration Society
"Mutual Admiration Society" can refer to:
Literature
* Mutual admiration society, a term referring to people who admire or flatter each other, originated in the 1800s but came into common use in the latter 1950s, popularized by the song of the s ...
'' (
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
and
Glen Phillips)
References
External links
*
*
*
Multimedia
Listen and/or watch Chris Thile on 5 episodesof the
WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour
The '' WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour'' is a radio program created, produced, and hosted by folksinger Michael Johnathon.
Background
WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour is a live audience celebration of grassroots music and the artists who make it. T ...
: No. 165 as a member of
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
; No. 199 Chris Thile with
Bryan Sutton
Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs.
Biography Early career
Sutton's grandfather and ...
; No. 287 Chris Thile and
Mike Marshall, another master of the mandolin; No. 416 Chris Thile and the How To Grow a Band, No. 506
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is an American bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. He has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated seven times.
Meyer is a member of the Telluride Bluegrass ...
& Chris Thile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thile, Chris
American bluegrass musicians
American country singer-songwriters
American public radio personalities
1981 births
Living people
MacArthur Fellows
Nickel Creek members
American banjoists
American bluegrass mandolinists
American male guitarists
American radio hosts
Guitarists from California
Radio personalities from California
Singer-songwriters from California
Murray State University alumni
People from Oceanside, California
Grammy Award winners
21st-century American musicians
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singer-songwriters
Punch Brothers members
American male singer-songwriters