Roots Music Supergroup Punch Brothers Opens the 42nd Season of An Appalachian Summer Festival

The Grammy-winning quintet brings bluegrass energy, classical complexity and jazzy improvisation to the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, June 27 at 7:30pm. Tickets on Sale April 15 at 10am.

BOONE, NC — The celebrated roots music quintet Punch Brothers opens the 42^nd season of An Appalachian Summer Festival, Appalachian State University’s annual multi-disciplinary summer arts celebration. The Grammy-winning supergroup will perform at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, June 27 at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale to the public on April 15 at 10am.

Punch Brothers, formed in 2006, are a virtuosic quintet featuring mandolinist Chris Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjoist Noam Pikelny, and violinist Brittany Haas. Known for pushing the boundaries of acoustic music, the band has garnered critical acclaim, including a Grammy for Best Folk Album for All Ashore (2018). The Washington Post applauded them for taking “bluegrass to its next evolutionary stage, drawing equal inspiration from the brain and the heart.” Over the years, they’ve become pioneers in modern string music, with albums like Antifogmatic (2010), Who’s Feeling Young Now (2012) and The Phosphorescent Blues (2015) showcasing their genre-defying sound. Rolling Stone praised their work as “wild virtuosity used for more than just virtuosity,” cementing their reputation as trailblazers in contemporary acoustic music. Most Recently, Punch Brothers have been focused on their new musical variety show, The Energy Curfew Music Hour, with seasons one and two available on Audible and all podcasting platforms.

The 42^nd season of An Appalachian Summer Festival takes place June 27-August 1, 2026 at various venues on the campus of App State and features an all-star lineup of music, dance, theatre, film, and visual arts programming. The full season lineup will be announced on Tuesday, March 24 at 10am. All tickets are on sale Wednesday, April 15 at 10am. Visit AppSummer.org for the most up-to-date information.

Tickets for An Appalachian Summer Festival 2026

Prices are structured for multiple artistic tastes and budgets, with several free events and discounts for both children, students, and App State faculty/staff. Tickets are available in person at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Box Office (733 Rivers St), online at AppSummer.org, or by phone at 828-262-4046.

About An Appalachian Summer Festival

Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every summer in venues across the university campus, and features a diverse mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and film programming. An Appalachian Summer Festival began in 1984 as a chamber music series and retains strong roots in classical music, combined with a variety of other programming geared to varied artistic tastes, preferences, and price points. The festival has become one of the region’s leading arts events, attracting more than 27,000 visitors to the High Country each summer. Southern Living Magazine called App Summer “a cultural hotspot [and] one of America’s biggest summer arts celebrations.”