Chris Thile, photo by Josh Goleman

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Acclaimed Grammy Award–winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Chris Thile, will bring his genre-defying brilliance to McCarter Theatre on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 7:30pm.

Thile is a founding member of the highly influential string bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek and has collaborated with countless luminaries including Yo-Yo Ma, Fiona Apple, and Brad Mehldau. For four years, he hosted the public radio favorite Live from Here with Chris Thile (the successor to A Prairie Home Companion).

The recipient of the prestigious “Genius Grant,” is a multifaceted musical talent described by The Guardian as “that rare being: an all-round musician,” and hailed by NPR as a “genre-defying musical genius.”

With his expansive musical outlook, Thile has created a distinctly American canon and a new aesthetic for performers and audiences alike, offering, in the words of The New York Times, “one joyous arc, with the linear melody and vertical harmony blurring into a single web of gossamer beauty.”

The wide-ranging program for Thile’s solo performance at McCarter will feature his signature blend of classical, folk, and improvisational brilliance, alongside selections from his acclaimed solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas—including the forthcoming Volume II, to be released this November.

Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling Patron Services at (609) 258-2787. McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.

McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages.

A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to its first performances in 1930. Our Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and Bus Stop all premiered at McCarter, paving the way for a long history of launching remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances worldwide.

The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock. Of the 100,000 community members who engage with McCarter each year, more than 5,000 are students participating in educational programs in Princeton, Trenton, and schools across the region. McCarter leads with values of justice, joy, and beauty in belonging—creating a space where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate the power of live performance.