Who is Chris Thile?

Christopher Scott Thile (born February 20, 1981) is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality. He is best known for his work iwith the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive bluegrass quintet the Punch Brothers. He is also a 2012 MacArthur Fellow. In October 2016, he became the host of the radio variety show “A Prairie Home Companion.”

The members of Nickel Creek met in 1989 at Carlsbad, California's “That Pizza Place,” while listening to weekly bluegrass shows with their parents. Their first album, “Little Cowpoke,” was released on December 31, 1993. Later albums included “Nickel Creek and This Side,” which went platinum and won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 2005, Nickel Creek released “Why Should the Fire Die?,” which received critical acclaim and sold 250,000 albums.

Thile has also released solo albums, including “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” (2001) and “Deceiver” (2004), on which he wrote, composed, sang, and played every part. In 2008, Thile released a collaboration album with bassist Edgar Meyer.

Beyond Thile’s continued collaboration with multiple musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma and Marc O’Connor, he has played Bach concertos solely on the mandolin in Carnegie Hall.

Also, Baseball Hall of Fame member Sam Thompson is Thile's great-great-great-great-uncle.