Chris Thile (THEEL-ee) will be taking over as host of A Prairie Home Companion in the fall. He made his first appearance on the show in 1996 at the age of 15. At that time, he had already been playing mandolin for a decade. He’d also started Nickel Creek with Sara and Sean Watkins, and released his first solo album, 1994’s Leading Off. This Grammy winner and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient now collaborates with many musicians in myriad styles and leads acoustic quintet Punch Brothers. Thile’s solo recordings include Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1 (Nonesuch).
On February 6 (HPR-1, 6pm), with rebroadcast on February 7 (HPR-2, 6pm), featured guests include the legendary Paul Simon, comedian Maria Bamford, multi-instrumentalists Andrew Bird and Sara Jarosz, and some of his mates from Punch Brothers. They are accompanied by APHC’s regular cast of characters.
Tune in to hear this long-time public radio favorite embracing the future.
