Chris Thile may be best known for his work with genre-bending acoustic folk-rock groups, but the mandolin player and composer has recently stepped into the classical realm with his Mandolin Concerto, commissioned by a consortium of orchestras. On March 20, Thile began rehearsals with the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for a performance of the concerto at Carnegie Hall on March 24. Thile talks to Jennifer Melick about the composition process, working with Orpheus, and “a return to big-picture musicianship.”
Superstars Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma—creative consultants for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Chicago Symphony Orchestra respectively—recently gave a surprise performance at the State of Illinois’s Thompson Center to promote civic engagement in the arts. A video offers a peak at pop-up music in downtown Chicago.
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Posted March 23, 2012
