Kennedy Center Sets American Acoustic with Chris Thile Programming, 6/22-25

The Kennedy Center announced today the schedule and artist lineup for American Acoustic with Chris Thile, a four-day festival curated by virtuoso mandolinist, singer, and composer Chris Thile.

The newly announced performances feature collaborations between Thile and other master performers, focusing on the idea that tradition is innovation that lasts. Through a handful of concerts in venues across the Center, American Acoustic with Chris Thile showcases groundbreaking musicians and their unparalleled artistry, as well as the diverse styles prevalent in today's creative landscape.

Tickets for these events go on sale to Kennedy Center Members on Monday, April 4, 2016 and to the general public on Thursday, April 7, 2016.

Chris Thile-a musician of extraordinary accomplishment and wide-ranging talent, as comfortable in the symphony hall as at an outdoor bluegrass festival-takes audiences on a musical journey rooted in creativity, collaboration, and the value of challenging convention. For the festival's opening on June 22, Thile shares the stage with singer/guitarist Michael Daves-his bluegrass duo partner and counterpart on the critically acclaimed, Grammy Award-nominated 2011 album, Sleep with One Eye Open. The following evening will see Thile alongside composer/singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane, guitarist Julian Lage, and vocalist Merrill Garbus, in a special performance featuring each artist's original compositions as well as joint material. Both of these events will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the intimacy of the Terrace Theater.

The festival's marquee concert takes place on June 24 at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall and features an all-star lineup of some of Thile's frequent collaborators and closest friends, including his bandmates in the acoustic quintet Punch Brothers, trailblazing banjo player Béla Fleck, celebrated bassist Edgar Meyer, and the trio I'm With Her, which comprises Americana singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Sara Watkins, Aoife O'Donovan, and Sarah Jarosz. The festival culminates on June 25 with a performance and Q&A session led by Thile and designed for younger audiences. This event takes place at 12 p.m. in the Family Theater.

Extending the festival's accessibility and reach to a wider audience, Thile will also lead three educational events that are free and open to the general public-a late-night jam session on June 23 and two performance workshops on June 25. These events feature the participation of festival artists and fellow musicians, including Punch Brothers, Aoife O'Donovan, and Sarah Jarosz.

Known to international audiences as a founding member of the popular and acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, Grammy Award winner Chris Thile has also garnered praise for his wide-ranging collaborations and recordings that span from Bach to bluegrass. The celebrated mandolin player, singer, and composer received a 2012 MacArthur Fellowship, recognizing his exceptional talent and continued creative work, and in support of his career and contributions to the world of American music. Thile is credited with creating a distinctly American canon for the mandolin and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike. His evolutionary approach to composition assimilates elements from myriad musical traditions, pushing and expanding the reach of American music as a whole. Next fall, Thile assumes a new role: host of American Public Media's popular and long-running radio program A Prairie Home Companion, for which he was hand-picked by the beloved outgoing original host, Garrison Keillor.

Tickets for performances as part of American Acoustic with Chris Thile go on sale to Kennedy Center Members on Monday, April 4, 2016 and to the general public on Thursday, April 7, 2016. Tickets will be available for purchase in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, by calling InstantCharge at (202) 467-4600, and through the Kennedy Center website at www.kennedy-center.org.