"Today I'm talking with one of the most creative musicians of our time," Rick Beato says of his guest Chris Thile. "What's most remarkable about Chris is how far he's pushed the mandolin beyond its roots, exploring everything from jazz to classical and beyond—literally redefining what's possible on the instrument." They discuss Thile's creative process, his career in music, and more. You can watch their conversation here:

On his new album, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2, due November 7, Chris Thile performs Bach's Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004; Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005; and Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006. For his second recording of Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas, 12 years after the first volume, the mandolin virtuoso opted for a more personal approach, allowing himself to take liberties with the scores, which he recorded in multiple, somewhat untraditional, locations of personal significance. “My mentor, Edgar Meyer, has shown me ... you practice Bach ... because it makes your life better," Thile says. "Because it makes the world around you seem like a better, happier place. Because communing with something that beautiful, made by a human being, continuing to be made and enjoyed by so many human beings, makes you proud to be human ... I love practicing Bach, and I wanted to try and share how that ongoing process feels and sounds to me." You can pre-order the album and hear three tracks now here.

Chris Thile concludes the first US leg of his Bach tour at St. Cecilia Music in Grand Rapids on Thursday and Symphony Center in Chicago on Friday. He tours Europe in November and resumes his US tour in January. For details and tickets, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.