Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer

Chris Thile, Mandolin Edgar Meyer, Bass

Thursday Evening, October 16, 2014 at 8:00 pm Michigan Theater • Ann Arbor

Seventh Performance of the 136th Annual Season

Photo: Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer; photographer: David McClister. 7 8 CHRIS THILE & EDGAR MEYER FALL 2014 UMS be performed withoneintermission. This evening’s program willbeannounced by theartists from thestage andwill PROGRAM of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo Meyer producedThile’s mandolinalbum prestigious MacArthur “genius”grant. winners andindividual recipients ofthe They areeachmultiple Grammy Award hall asat an outdoor bluegrass festival. talent, ascomfortable inthesymphony accomplishment andwide-ranging They areboth players ofextraordinary rapport, along with similar resumes: and Thileshareaseeminglyeffortless Award. hoc group a“BestFolk Album” Grammy of original material that garnered the ad create Stuart Duncan,joinedcellistYo-Yo Mato 2011, Meyer andThile,alongwithviolinist together invarious configurations. In found themselves onstageorinthestudio mature anddeepen, andthey have often two virtuosic musicians hascontinued to and musical relationship between these but intheintervening years thepersonal released itsself-titledNonesuchdebut, Meyer andmandolinistChrisThile. recording fromdouble bassistEdgar Bass & Mandolin is the second duo BASS &MANDOLIN Mr. Thile andMr. Meyer appearby arrangement withParadigm Talent Agency, New York, NY. Media partnership isprovided by AnnArbor’s 107one FMandWEMU89.1 FM. Endowment supportprovided by theHerbert andDorisSloan Endowment Fund. Tonight’s performance issupported by GilOmennandMartha Darling. Tonight’s performance issponsored by Mainstreet Ventures. Though 20years apart in age, Meyer Five years have passedsincethepair The Goat RodeoSessions,analbum would push their melodies to the point their firstduoalbum, Meyer recalls,they popular Yo-Yo Ma-helmedproject. On away fromthelyricism that marked the these new sessions, but they didn’t shy eloquence to their playing throughout in MarinCounty. Thereisintensity and together, thistimeat Skywalker Sound work whenthey re-entered thestudio Thile’s own approach totheirlatest duo buying public influencedMeyer’s and embrace by both criticsandalargerecord- Goat RodeoSessionsanditssubsequent instrumental piecesthat comprise The the spotlight whenhewasachild. Creek, thetriothat firstbrought Thileinto long-awaited reunion album fromNickel Meyer guest-starredonADotted Line,the conservatoire corsets.” Most recently, one that “liberates the pieces from their of themicandMeyer behindtheboard,as reimagining of Bach, with Thile in front London’s was met withmuch criticalacclaim. Goat Rodeo Sessions was made — that studio in the Berkshires where a wintry week at thesamebarn-turned- violin —achallengingset, recordedover The processofcreating thelargely Independent praised thisradical The BE PRESENT FALL 2014 9 Talking classical music backstage at classical music Talking was the follow-up to Meyer’s classical- to Meyer’s follow-up was the . “I can Waltz hit, Appalachia crossover fromall the songs learning remember bedroom when I Ritual in my Uncommon just in case Mike old, 16 years was maybe finally I something. or tour a do couldn’t the Rockygrass at Edgar backstage met speaking of the continues, festival,” he of gathering multigenerational annual Colorado, in Lyons, musicians bluegrass Bill Monroe. ago by 42 years established blathering started “I immediately wanted I quartets. string Mozart about kind of that about someone to talk to to someone I was just dying to talk music. with non- who had acres of experience through- about music through-composed music.” composed to bond was one way confab a bluegrass as but, player-composers, these ambitious their connection goes even notes, Meyer “Chris and I share one particular further: fathers of our both thing, which is that pretty were They bass players. were are influences on us. And we monumental Meyer dreams.” fathers’ our realizing both and Thile began performing together more than a decade ago and in concert dichotomy “There’s the Thile says, now, kind of a mentor-apprentice of having as also collaborating but relationship ostensible equals. Some of the electricity there is a little more comes from that; of us as for the two to the moment weight of Edgar’s conscious not a result. I’m never the at but education, musical my in status about passionate same time I am very go, and I think it should and how music I’m never bit as passionate. Edgar is every than when I’mmore engaged and present Edgar.” with working Michael Hill. by note Program . As collaborators, collaborators, As . Before the teenage Thile had even Before the teenage Thile had even “I’m happy to be part of the mix,” of the mix,” to be part “I’m happy As Thile reflects, “We have grown grown have “We reflects, As Thile an acclaimed 1997 string-trio disc that an acclaimed 1997 string-trio disc that Mike Marshall,” Thile says, referring to Thile says, Marshall,” Mike [banjoist] Béla Fleck and [mandolinist] Béla [banjoist] with be Edgar’s Uncommon Ritual with records of my entire life is and will always entire records of my work with him: “One of the most important him: “One of the most important with work met Meyer, he was strategizing on how to on how he was strategizing Meyer, met

bottom of things very quickly.” of things very bottom much common ground. We can get to theto get can We ground. common much not many people with whom I have so with whom I have people many not where they can do their best. There are There best. their do can they where otherwise, and how to create a situation to create and how otherwise, person feel comfortable, musically and musically person feel comfortable, a very young age how to make the other to make how age young a very can play the melody. Chris figured out at Chris figured out the melody. can play it together. I can just be a bass player or I I can just be a bass player it together. or the rhythm section, and Chris can hold section, and or the rhythm anything I want. I can be the string section I want. anything less rigidity. Working with Chris, I can do less rigidity. Working up and play classical things with a little classical up and play He has a great groove, but he can free but groove, He has a great musical feelings and rhythmic feelings. feelings and rhythmic musical kinds of improvising, with lots of different with lots kinds of improvising, options. Chris is comfortable with all with all Chris is comfortable options. of declares. “It affords me a lot Meyer palate cleansers.” palate we threw those instruments in as sort of in as sort those instruments threw we “Edgar plays piano, I play a little guitar, so piano, I play “Edgar plays the mandolin and the bass.” “But,” he adds,he “But,” bass.” the and mandolin the of course, the rather extreme limitation of limitation extreme the rather of course, take care of our bodies and souls — within, bodies and souls care of our take minds and our fingers certainly, but also but fingers certainly, minds and our balanced — that would take care of our care of our take would balanced — that wanting to write material that was was that to write material wanting people, I think we went into this project into went I think we people, music and getting it to a fair amount of amount it to a fair and getting music Having had the experience of writing that had the experience Having Goat Rodeo Sessions Rodeo Goat to share. voice a warmer found we’ve partially due to our work together on The together work due to our partially our duo first recording and now, at least at now, first recording and duo our a lot as a collaborative entity between between entity as a collaborative a lot

letting some of the melodies show.” the melodies some of letting of abstraction. This time, he says, “we are “we he says, This time, of abstraction. 10 CHRIS THILE & EDGAR MEYER FALL 2014 UMS I “Best Folk Album.” After alengthy 2012 which won the2012Grammy Award for and frequent collaborator EdgarMeyer, Stuart Duncan,andMr.Thile’smentor Sessions Album.” HealsorecordedTheGoat Rodeo Award nomination for “BestBluegrass Eye Open , whichgarnereda2011Grammy guitarist MichaelDaves, Sleep WithOne interpretations ofbluegrass classicswith an album oftradition upending acclaimed new disc,Mr.Thilecompleted genre ofcontemporary music.” musical traditions isgivingrisetoanew with elements fromarange ofother “lyrical fusion of traditional bluegrass MacArthur Foundation noted that his “Genius” grant. InhonoringMr.Thile,the for 2012—arecipient ofitsprestigious Mr. Thileoneofits23MacArthur Fellows echoed that assessment whenitnamed the world.” TheMacArthur Foundation “the mostremarkable mandolinistin Independent called CHRISTHILE ARTISTS Who’s Feeling Young Now?, London’s Brothers’ latest Nonesuchrecording, n a review of his quintet Punch Prior to recording Punch Brothers' with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist visit www.umslobby.org to findthese stories. your camera atthecode, andscan to see multimedia content; or Download afree QRcode reader apponyour smartphone, point listening to lately. Scan for anartistplaylist!ChrisThile tells uswhathe’s been

Edgar Meyer, inAugust2013. Partitas andSonatas, Vol.1 , producedby his mostrecent solorecording,Bach: Hilary Hahn.NonesuchRecordsreleased has collaborated includeBélaFleckand Other stellarmusicians withwhomhe eminent mandolinistMike Marshall. a duo with Edgar Meyer and with fellow performing andrecordingextensively as he hasreleasedfive albums, aswell as sold two millionrecords.Asasoloist whom he released three albums and Award-winning trioNickel Creek,with rose tofame asamember ofGrammy at CarnegieHall’sSternAuditorium. orchestras around theUS, includingadate per alas porci with several chamber present hisMandolinConcerto: Adastra shows, Mr.Thilealsofound timeto exquisite.” Inbetween hisPunchBrothers plain-faced beauty: simple, direct, and “Their complex work translated to Mehldau. SaidtheWashington Post, fellow virtuoso andjazzpianistBrad embarked onaseriesofduodates with up foranother challenge,immediately Punch Brothers tour, Mr.Thile,always A childprodigy,Mr.Thilefirst BE PRESENT FALL 2014 11

Collaborations are a central part part are a central Collaborations began studying bass at Mr. Meyer Music Festival, the Alabama Symphony, Symphony, the Alabama Festival, Music Orchestra Symphony Detroit the Angeles the Los Slatkin, Leonard under and de Waart Edo Orchestra, Chamber the Emerson Orchestra, the Minnesota Chamber and the St. Paul String Quartet, Hugh Wolff. led by Orchestra longtime His work. Meyer’s Mr. of MacArthur fellow with collaboration Chris Thile continues recipient Award Nonesuch on release the with 2014 in original of all new Records of a recording genre-bending artists, the two by material 2008 successful up to their very a follow Meyer’s Mr. Nonesuch. on CD/DVD performing and recording previous include a duo with Béla collaborations Sam Bell, Joshua with quartet a Fleck; Marshall; a trio with BélaBush, and Mike Marshall; and a trio withFleck and Mike Ma and Mark O’Connor. Yo-Yo of under the instruction the age of five to study further and continued his father In 1994 he received Sankey. with Stuart and in Fisher Career Grant the Avery 2000 became the only bassist to receive he is Currently, Prize. Fisher Avery the the bass at visiting professor of double Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Curtis

makes his fourth UMS appearance this evening following this evening UMS appearance his fourth makes Edgar Meyer UMS ARCHIVES The Goat Rodeo Sessions whichThe Goat As a composer, Mr. Meyer has has Mr. Meyer As a composer, As a solo classical bassist, Mr. Meyer Mr. Meyer As a solo classical bassist,

n demand as both a performer and a performer as both n demand has MEYER EDGAR a composer, unlike world the music a role in formed

and Wynton Marsalis’s A Fiddler’s Tale and Wynton L’histoire du soldat of Stravinsky’s in a program Marsalis. Wynton and trumpeter of Lincoln Center Music Society with the Chamber Rackham Auditorium. He most recently appeared in April 1998 at Rackham Auditorium in April 1998 at appeared Rackham Auditorium. He most recently his UMS debut in November 1995 with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at of Lincoln Center Music Society 1995 with the Chamber in November his UMS debut Auditorium. Center. He most recently appeared in October 2013 in a solo performance at Rackham 2013 in a solo performance at in October appeared most recently He Center. Mr. Thile made his UMS debut with the Punch Brothers in October 2009 at the Power Power the at 2009 in October with the Punch Brothers Mr. Thile made his UMS debut ’s third appearance under UMS auspices. performance marks Chris Thile’s third appearance This evening’s Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood the Tanglewood at Orchestra Symphony have been performed by the Boston the Boston been performed by have niche in the musical world. His works His works world. niche in the musical carved out a remarkable and unique and unique a remarkable out carved

for “Best Folk Album.” for “Best Folk was awarded the 2012 Grammy Award Award 2012 Grammy the was awarded recording Stuart Duncan for the Sony Masterworks Masterworks Duncan for the Sony Stuart Ma, mandolinist Chris Thile, and fiddler In 2011 Mr. Meyer joined cellist Yo-Yo joined cellist Yo-Yo In 2011 Mr. Meyer compilation of The Best of Edgar Meyer. compilation achievements, Sony/BMG released a released a Sony/BMG achievements, recognizing his wide-ranging recording recognizing his wide-ranging to a number of solo recordings. In 2007, of solo recordings. to a number conducted by Hugh Wolff, in addition in addition Hugh Wolff, conducted by Ma, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Chamber Ma, and the St. Paul has released with Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Bell, Yo-Yo Joshua has released with

a MacArthur Award in 2002. Award a MacArthur uniqueness in the field was recognized byuniqueness in the field appreciated by a vast, varied audience. His a vast, varied audience. by appreciated have brought him to the fore, where he is him to brought have combination with his gift for composition with his gift combination technique and musicianship in in and musicianship technique instrument,” Mr. Meyer’s unparalleled unparalleled Mr. Meyer’s instrument,” relatively unchronicled history of his of his unchronicled history relatively “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the virtuoso remarkable “…the most as Yorker The New Hailed by other. any I