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Back to Press Release List > 11/16/2009 - Bluegrass All-Stars The Punch Brothers Featuring Chris Thile Perform on October 16

CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS BLUEGRASS ALL-STAR GROUP THE PUNCH BROTHERS FEATURING MANDOLINIST CHRIS THILE IN STERN AUDITORIUM/PERELMAN STAGE
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16


Classical music-influenced bluegrass ensemble the Punch Brothers, featuring celebrated mandolinist Chris Thile, returns to Carnegie Hall on Friday, October 16 at 8:00 p.m. for an evening of original compositions and bluegrass favorites in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. This eclectic, high-energy performance will showcase the integration of bluegrass instrumentation with the spontaneity and strictures of contemporary classical music for which the group is so well known. The group made its Carnegie Hall debut (then performing as the Tensions Mountain Boys) in Zankel Hall in March 2007.

The Punch Brothers—comprised of five fiercely talented young musicians whose musical backgrounds include rock, folk, country, bluegrass and classical music—formed a group after the members played together and recognized their instantaneous musical connection. Originally called How To Grow A Band, the group changed its name to the Tensions Mountain Boys before settling on Punch Brothers in 2007, and began touring together the following year. Punch Brothers tours extensively throughout the U.S., and its debut album, Punch, was released by Nonesuch Records in 2007.

Punch Brothers front man, mandolinist Chris Thile, is widely regarded as one of the most inventive musicians of his generation, having taken the mandolin from its folk and bluegrass origins to an instrument that can be featured in jazz improvisation and classical performance. Thile released the first of five solo albums when he was just 13 and, by the time he was 20, had attracting a following among pop, country, and alternative-rock audiences as a member of the Grammy Award-winning Nickel Creek. He has performed and recorded with double bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer (including a performance at Carnegie Hall in 2008), Emanuel Ax, Bela Fleck, Dolly Parton, the Dixie Chicks, Jerry Douglas, and Sam Bush. Punch Brothers debuted Thile's most ambitious work at Carnegie Hall in 2007—a forty minute suite in four movements entitled The Blind Leaving the Blind.

Guitarist Chris Eldridge studied music performance at Oberlin Conservatory. A founding member of the critically acclaimed bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters, Eldridge gained a deep love of acoustic music as a child as a result of listening to and performing with his father Ben Eldridge’s bluegrass band The Seldom Scene.

Before joining the Punch Brothers, Noam Pikelny served as principal banjoist with the award-winning Colorado ensemble Leftover Salmon. His debut solo record, In the Maze, was released on Compass Records in 2004 making a significant statement in the world of postmodern progressive three-finger style five-string banjo.

Violinist Gabe Witcher began his musical training at age five, learning classical violin and bluegrass fiddle simultaneously. He began playing professionally with his father in The Witcher Brothers Bluegrass Band by age six eventually gaining acclaim as a member of the group as well as for his frequent wins on the fiddle competition circuit. Witcher has since contributed to more than 300 records and countless movie and television scores, including Toy Story and the 2006 Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain.

Classically-trained bassist Paul Kowert joined the Punch Brothers in the fall of 2008 after having studied at The Curtis Institute of Music with renowned bassist Edgar Meyer. Kowert can also be heard as a member of Mike Marshall's Big Trio with mandolinist Mike Marshall and violinist Alex Hargreaves. The group released its first album on Adventure Music America records in March 2009.

Program Information
Friday, October 16 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
PUNCH BROTHERS
featuring CHRIS THILE
   Chris Eldridge, Guitar and Vocals
   Paul Kowert, Bass and Vocals
   Noam Pikelny, Banjo and Vocals
   Chris Thile, Mandolin and Vocals
   Gabe Witcher, Fiddle and Vocals

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information
Beginning on September 10 at 11:00 a.m., single tickets, priced at $25, $29, $36, $48, $63, and $69, will be available. Subscriptions are currently available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For all Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer. In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price and can be purchased, starting September 10, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

A limited number of $10 Student RUSH tickets may also be available at the Box Office for some Carnegie Hall events. For more information on student discount tickets please call CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or visit carnegiehall.org/students. For information on Notables: Carnegie Hall’s Membership and Ticket Program for Music Enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s, including discount ticket privileges, please visit carnegiehall.org/notables.

Bank of America card holders receive a 10% discount off the full ticket price when using their card to purchase tickets to Carnegie Hall presentations.

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Photo Caption and Credit: Punch Brothers (photo: © Cassandra Jenkins)

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