Grammy Award-winning artists Aoife O’Donovan and Chris Thile will bring new takes on beloved holiday songs, new holiday-themed works, and storytelling to Shannon Hall at Memorial Union on Dec. 10 in a performance of “WASSAIL! A Holiday Celebration with Aoife O’Donovan & Chris Thile” presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) and True Endeavors.
The performance will feature original songs and new arrangements of beloved holiday classics. A presale began Sept. 2 at 9 a.m. for Wisconsin Union Theater Classical Series, Jazz Series and build-your-own subscription subscribers. Tickets will go on sale to the public Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. Each patron can purchase up to six tickets.
O’Donovan is a singer-songwriter and guitarist whose work with the folk trio I’m With Her has earned her three Grammy Awards, including 2026 awards for Best Contemporary Folk Album for “Wild and Clear and Blue” and Best American Roots Song for “Ancient Light.” She is also known for her solo career and her work with the band Crooked Still. Her 2024 solo album, “All My Friends,” received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album, and the album’s title track received a nomination for Best American Roots Song.
Thile is a Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter and composer whose work includes bluegrass, folk, classical and contemporary music. A MacArthur Fellow, Thile is a founding member of the bands Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers and previously hosted the radio program “Live from Here.”
O’Donovan and Thile have collaborated throughout their careers. O’Donovan was a featured vocalist on “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” an album by Thile, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan. Their shared musical history comes to the stage in “WASSAIL!”
Patrons can purchase tickets at union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/theater-wassail-aoife-odonovan-chris-thile, in person at the Memorial Union Box Office or by phone at 608-265-2787.