DEFYING GENRES: Multi-talented mandolinist Chris Thile brings his expansive musical outlook to McCarter Theatre on October 18. (Photo by Josh Goleman)

Grammy Award–winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Chris Thile, recipient of the “Genius Grant,” comes to McCarter Theatre on Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Thile is a founding member of the string bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, and has collaborated with such musicians as Yo-Yo Ma, Fiona Apple, and Brad Mehldau. For four years, he hosted the public radio show Live from Here with Chris Thile (the successor to A Prairie Home Companion).

Thile has created a distinctly American canon and a new aesthetic for performers and audiences alike. The wide-ranging program for his solo performance at McCarter will feature his signature blend of classical, folk, and improvisation, alongside selections from his solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas — including the forthcoming Volume II, to be released this November.

McCarter Theatre is at 91 University Place. Visit mccarter.org for tickets.