Goat Radio Sessions at your movie theater Jan. 31

Bringing an ensemble of tremendous musical talent together, NCM Fathom and Sony Masterworks presents The Goat Rodeo Sessions LIVE featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan and guest vocalist Aoife O’Donovan, an exclusive in-theater concert event on Tuesday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. CT/ 8:00 p.m. MT/PT/HI/AK (tape delayed). The four string virtuosos will be performing songs off their collaborative album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, at the House of Blues® in Boston, which will be broadcast live to theaters nationwide.

Tickets for The Goat Rodeo Sessions LIVE featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan and guest vocalist Aoife O’Donovan are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 430 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

"I have always loved live performance for the joy and immediacy it brings. The fact that, with the aid of technology, it can now be shared in an intimate and communal way in locations around the nation is more than thrilling. To me, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, drawn from so many traditions and inspirations, is quintessentially American, so playing Edgar, Chris and Stuart's music in a cinecast across the U.S. has a special poignancy. I'm so looking forward to January 31, when we can celebrate together the joy of music making!" says cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

While each artist is a prominent figure in his own music sphere, the group came together as a unified ensemble on a most remarkable and organic cross-genre project. The Goat Rodeo Sessions is an 11-song recording of original compositions that has been dubbed “genre proof” by the group. The music feels both new and familiar – it’s composed and improvised, uptown and down home, funky and pastoral, and above all, uniquely American.

“I've never been involved with anything so musically challenging and enjoyable as the Goat Rodeo Sessions. It's a genre defying hybrid not to be missed!” adds Duncan.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences, and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Whether performing new or familiar works from the cello repertoire, coming together with colleagues for chamber music or exploring cultures and musical forms outside the Western classical tradition, Mr. Ma strives to find connections that stimulate the imagination.


Fiddler Stuart Duncan’s music has been enjoyed by millions of Country, Americana and Bluegrass music fans for over 40 years via the recording studio and on tour. Even with his distinctive, identifiable style, no two pieces Duncan creates ever sound alike. One of his many strengths is the ability to get inside a simple melody and take it to a whole new level. In the studio he can write out charts, direct arrangements and make a contribution with a fiddle, guitar, tenor banjo, mandolin or any number of specialty instruments.


Bassist Edgar Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him to the forefront of a wide variety of musical styles, where he is appreciated by a vast, varied audience. Meyer’s uniqueness in the field was recognized by a MacArthur Award in 2002.


Mandolinist Chris Thile of the Punch Brothers, has changed the mandolin forever, elevating it from its origins as a relatively simple folk and bluegrass instrument to the sophistication and brilliance of the finest jazz improvisation and classical performance. For more than 15 years, Thile played in the wildly popular band Nickel Creek, with whom he released three albums and sold two million records, and was awarded a Grammy® in 2002.


Vocalist Aoife O’Donovan grew up in a musical family, immersed in folk music. She studied contemporary improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music in her hometown of Boston. Most recently, she has performed and recorded with Ollabelle, Sometymes Why, Karen Casey and Seamus Egan, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins, Christina Courtin and Chris Thile (Punch Brothers).

The title of the record, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, is a nod to the expression "goat rodeo," which is often used to describe a situation in which a thousand things must go right in order for something to work.

“This one-night event celebrates the possibilities of stellar musicians throwing out the rules and embarking on an open-ended journey together,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom. “These prolific musicians will share the big screen during this unprecedented event, answering the call of fans from across the country.”