From bluegrass to Bach, Nickel Creek's Chris Thile will bring his solo tour to Iowa City

It takes one to know one, and it was evident early on that Chris Thile is a musical virtuoso.

At the age of eight, Thile played his first gig as a member of Nickel Creek. The longtime bluegrass band included fiddler Sara Watkins, who was also eight; her brother, guitarist Sean Watkins, who was 12; and Thile's father, Scott Thile, on bass when the band made its debut in 1989.

Johan Sebastian Bach wasn't a publicized child prodigy like Wolfgang Mozart. However, the iconic German composer and musician displayed uncommon mastery of the keyboard as a teen and excelled while performing.

Bluegrass and classical seem to be mutually exclusive. However, that's not so for those in some music loving families, which is another common denominator Thile and Bach share. When Thile, 44, was 12, his grandmothers introduced the musically curious child to one of the greatest musicians of the Baroque period.

"My grandma and my step-grandma, both on my mother's side, are huge Bach fans," Thile said. "They're both excellent pianists and teach piano and absolutely love music. When they realized their bluegrass loving grandson, who was always playing his mandolin, was serious about music, they decided to open up my world by playing Bach for me. Having both of these women, who are so enthusiastic about music, and Bach, took me to another place. It really helped me musically."

Thile was bitten by the Bach bug after hearing Glenn Gould performing Bach.

"I enjoyed what I heard, and I realized we don't have recordings of Bach playing Bach," Thile said. "Someone plays Bach or we play Bach ourselves."

Thile has certainly excelled at the latter. "Bach: Sonatas & Partitas, Vol. 1“ released in 2013, and "Bach: Sonatas & Partitas: Vol. 2, dropped in November, features Thile who impresses playing the mandolin.

Thile, who will perform the latter album Friday, Jan. 16 at the Englert Theatre, sometimes plays it straight and on other occasions adds his own wrinkles, such as bluegrass style runs. On "Volume 2," Thile went with a novel approach by playing music in surprising spaces. Thile recorded in Tompkins Square Park in New York City. He performed over the cityscape din, which includes passersby talking and musicians busking. Thile also recorded on Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, and Farrell Recital Hall at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.

"It's a pretty radical move to go from recording in a nice studio where you have control to where you don't have control of all of the elements," Thile said while calling from his West Chester, New York, home. "There was something about being on the corner of Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. That was a really cool experience."

Thile, who will perform "Bach: Sonatas & Partitas: Vol. 2" in its entirety at the Englert, is an example of “the busier you are, the more you accomplish” axiom. Thile is a solo recording artist who still records and tours with Nickel Creek and his other band, the Punch Brothers.

The former host of the entertaining radio variety show "Live From Here," which was born out of the death of "A Prairie Home Companion," hosts the podcast "The Energy Curfew Music Hour."

Hosting radio shows and podcasts feature some of Thile's finest moments since he's an excellent conversationalist. That skill enhances his concerts since Thile is adept at engaging the audience

"I really love performing," Thile said. "I also love music and have for as long as I can remember. It' always excited me.""

Thile found his calling early and made his first album, "Leading Off," as a 13 year old.

"I've been fortunate to know what I wanted to do for so long," Thile said. "It's been so good not to just make music but to have different avenues to make music with my bands and solo. But I'm glad I started early. I'll never forget those early days."

At mid-life, Thile has accomplished a great deal. The charismatic married father of a son has won a Grammy, recorded an album that has gone platinum, Nickel Creek's 2003 release "This Side," and won a MacArthur Fellowship, which is known as the "Genius Grant."

The award is given to a recipient who has shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.

Thile is certainly an original and a recording artist who constantly challenges himself.

"That's something I enjoy," Thile said. "It's always best to push yourself."

When Thile decides to push himself with his next project, another Bach album won't be part of the picture. Thile has taken on the six Sonatas and Partitas. Now that his mission has been accomplished, it's off to something completely different after taking on the distinct and challenging works, which are so wonderfully expressive and technical.

"We always have to move on," Thile said. "It took me a few years to get back with Bach to complete this, but now I've completed it and I'm ready for what's next."