The Chieftains’ 55th anniversary tour comes to Sunset Center.

Paddy Moloney remembers a phone call he received from Stanley Kubrick in 1974. Moloney, the founding leader of the Irish folk outfit The Chieftains, says the call came during the middle of a press conference publicizing the release of a new record, The Chieftains 4.

“This is Stanley Kubrick and I’m doing a film and I’d like to include a piece of music from you, ‘The Women of Ireland,’” Moloney says in an intense voice intended to mimic the legendary filmmaker’s. Moloney had no idea who Kubrick was, so he politely responded, “Perhaps you could call me back, Mr. Kubrick.”

Moloney’s manager overheard and made sure Moloney took the next call. The Chieftains were enlisted to provide part of the score for Kubrick’s period masterpiece Barry Lyndon. Their contribution earned them an Oscar in 1975, but more importantly, Moloney’s brand of traditional Irish music reached a worldwide audience.

Mostly instrumental, The Chieftains’ sound centers on Moloney’s melodies delivered on uilleann pipes – which produce a sound that’s a sweeter, quieter version of bagpipes. In the 40 years following Barry Lyndon, The Chieftains have a lot to be proud of: The six-time Grammy winners (after 18 nominations) have collaborated with some of the world’s greatest acts, from Madonna to the Stones to Bob Dylan to Van Morrison. In addition to being the first Western musicians to perform on the Great Wall of China, The Chieftains also joined Roger Waters for his historic 1990 performance of The Wall in Berlin.

In 1995, The Chieftains teamed up with Sinéad O’Connor to sing vocals on “Foggy Dew,” an Irish-pride ballad chronicling the 1916 Easter Uprising of 1916. In 2012, to celebrate 50 years, The Chieftains released Voice of Ages, featuring guests like Bon Iver. For their 55th anniversary, Moloney says the band’s February and March U.S. tour will feature grandiose, mixed-media spectacles, with a film montage tribute to Nelson Mandela (who loved dancing to The Chieftains). Brothers Jon and Nathan Pilatzke of Ottowa, Canada will perform an old style of dance, and Triona Marshall will pick a harp. Fiddle player Tara Breen is another showstopper on the bill. “She’s a great dancer,” Moloney says. “She also plays Irish music on the saxophone.”

Another element to anticipate: footage from 2010, when a recording of Moloney’s whistle and Matt Molloy’s flute traveled with NASA to the international space station. Showgoers can expect further surprises, especially since Sunset Center is one of Moloney’s favorite stops.

THE CHIEFTAINS 8pm Thursday, Feb. 23. Sunset Center, San Carlos at Ninth, Carmel. $59-$79. 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org