Here’s a program to delight the imagination, tickle the funny bone, and spur conversation long after the last note rings out!

GRAMMY-winning mandolinist Chris Thile’s witty new “narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinist and orchestra” – co-commissioned by Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Symphony Orchestra – tells, plays, and sings the true story of when Thile “attempted to impress a Starbucks executive and accidentally met Carrie Fisher as a result.” Thile has captivated audiences with always fresh-sounding music that ranges from Baroque to bluegrass and beyond. Don’t miss this Festival favorite as he returns to join this thrilling concert! Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director Eric Jacobsen rounds out the concert with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, bringing the mysteries of the Arabian Nights to opulent, gorgeous life; and Virginia Arts Festival Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery’s  Starburst is a string-driven, pulse-pounding piece that imagines the birth of a galaxy in brilliantly hued exploding stars.

Eric, Jacobsen, conductor

Chris Thile, mandolin and vocals

Jessie Montgomery: Starburst

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade

Chris Thile: ATTENTION!

Co-commissioned by: