An Evening of Music with Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University's Pick-Staiger Concert Hall will feature an impressive collaboration between two of the most innovative musicians of our time -- contemporary string bassist Edgar Meyer and bluegrass mandolinist Chris Thile.

“An Evening with Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile” will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive on the University's Evanston campus. 

Meyer displays a mastery of the string bass across both classical and bluegrass genres. Composition is another of Meyer's many talents. The Boston Symphony premiered his Double Concerto for Bass and Cello, featuring Meyer and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Other compositions include Meyer's Double Bass Concerto, his Violin Concerto and his Quintet for Bass and String Quartet, premiered by the Emerson String Quartet.

Meyer's versatile and impressive collaborations are an important aspect of his work. He has collaborated with classical violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, bluegrass musicians Sam Bush, Mike Marshall and Béla Fleck and popular artists Garth Brooks and the Indigo Girls. After collaborating with banjoist Béla Fleck on the double Grammy Award-winning recording “Perpetual Motion,” the two created original repertoire for their novel combination of instruments. In addition to Meyer's skill as a bassist he is a proficient pianist, mandolinist, guitarist, banjoist, Dobro player and viola de gambist. Meyer is a recipient of a 2002 MacArthur Fellowship and is a three-time Grammy Award winner.

Twenty-five year old musical prodigy Chris Thile began playing the mandolin at the age of 5, and recorded and released his first album at the age of 12. That same year he won the prestigious National Mandolin Championship, and since has released four solo albums, showcasing his brilliant technique and his talent in composition.

Thile is a founding member of Nickel Creek, a Grammy Award-winning acoustic bluegrass band. As with Meyer, collaborations are an essential part of Thile's musical resume. In addition to working with Meyer, he has collaborated with Béla Fleck, fiddler and mandolinist Stuart Duncan, guitarists Bryan Sutton and Byron House, mandolinist Mike Marshall and songstress Dolly Parton. In 2001, Thile received the International Bluegrass Music Association Award (IBMA) for Mandolinist of the Year.

Tickets are $23 for the general public; $19 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $12 for students with a valid identification.  For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Pick-Staiger Ticket Office at (847) 467-4000 or visit <www.pickstaiger.com>.

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