Chris Thile – Sydney Festival

Overview

What Chris Thile wants to know is this: how is it that anyone can consider Radiohead's '2 + 2 = 5' less staid than Bach's 'Third Brandenburg Concerto'? Why should he be shooshed for getting loud at a classical concert and yet shout his head off in a rock arena without reprimand?

When you see Thile play, you're likely to find yourself asking the same questions. Not only is he a virtuoso mandolinist, vocalist and composer, he also approaches any repertoire — classical or otherwise — with an overwhelming sense that the song is what matters most. His live performances are drenched with a liveliness and rawness that you don't always get when it comes to formal music.

Thile's ability to cross genres has seen a Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan, titled The Goat Rodeo Sessions, as well as the receipt of a MacArthur Fellowship (also known as the 'genius grant'). According to the Independent, he's "the most remarkable mandolinist in the world".

You can catch him at one of two shows at the Spiegeltent during the Sydney Festival. He'll be playing pieces from his most recent recording, Bach Sonatas & Partitas Vol. 1, as well as contemporary tunes and originals.

Want more Sydney Festival events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival. Image by Brantley Gutierrez.