Chris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer. He is a member of
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 sponta ...
and frequently performs in a duo with fellow guitarist
Julian Lage
Julian Lage ( ; born December 25, 1987) is an American guitarist and composer.
Career
A child prodigy, Lage was the subject of the 1996 short documentary film ''Jules at Eight''. At 12, he performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards. Three years later ...
. He is also the guitarist in the house band on
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 Saturd ...
. He was a founding member of the bluegrass band
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 ...
. His father is noted banjoist
Ben Eldridge of the
Seldom Scene.
Biography
Although initially drawn to electric guitar, Eldridge began developing an acoustic career by his mid-teens, largely due to his father, a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group
The Seldom Scene. Eldridge later studied at
Oberlin Conservatory
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of ...
, where he studied with legendary guitarist
Tony Rice
David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020), known professionally as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and a ...
. After graduating, he joined the Seldom Scene with whom he received a
Grammy nomination in 2007. In 2005 he founded a critically acclaimed bluegrass group,
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 ...
. At the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association awards Eldridge and his Stringdusters bandmates won Emerging artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year for their debut album, Fork in the Road. Meanwhile, in 2005 he had caught the attention of mandolinist Chris Thile, who enlisted him, along with banjoist
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 ...
, violinist
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 ...
, and bassist Greg Garrison to start working on an ambitious side project. Soon after they decided to focus all of their collective energies into a band and
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 sponta ...
was formed.
In 2019, he won the Instrumentalist of the Year award at the
Americana Music Honors & Awards
The Americana Music Honors & Awards is the marquee event for the Americana Music Association. Beginning in 2002, the Americana Music Association honors distinguished members of the music community. Six member-voted awards and several Lifetime Ac ...
.
Discography
Punch Brothers
Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge
The Infamous Stringdusters
Seldom Scene
References
External links
Chris Eldridgeon
Myspace
Punch Brothers Official WebsitePunch Brotherson
Myspace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eldridge, Chris
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Guitarists from Virginia
American male guitarists
Punch Brothers members
Oberlin Jazz Ensemble members