Festival Hub: Big Ears

The Scene: Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee, is part of a group of intriguing American music festivals that have cropped up in the spring and fall seasons. Big Ears likes to explore connections between musicians while mixing it up with film, performance, and the visual arts. The venues are varied including the Knoxville Museum of Art, a cathedral, and an ornate theater.

Big Ears 2025: TBD March 2025

This lineup has not been posted yet.

Big Ears 2024: March 21-24, 2024
  • ADRIANNE LENKER
  • AJA MONET
  • ANGELIC BROTHERS (JOHN MEDESKI & KIRK KNUFFKE)
  • ANNA WEBBER
  • ANSSI KARTTUNEN
  • AOIFE O’DONOVAN
  • ARMAND HAMMER
  • ASH FURE: ANIMAL
  • BETH ORTON
  • BILLY WOODS
  • BITCHIN BAJAS
  • BRAD MEHLDAU
  • BRANDON ROSS PHANTOM STATION
  • CEDRIC BURNSIDE
  • CHARLES LLOYD
  • CHOCOLATE GENIUS, INC.
  • CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
  • CLAIRE ROUSAY
  • COLIN STETSON
  • COLLEEN
  • CYRO BAPTISTA’S CHAMA
  • DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY
  • DAVE HOLLAND QUARTET
  • DAVID VIRELLES
  • DAVÒNE TINES
  • DIGABLE PLANETS
  • DRAGONCHILD X SUNKEN CAGES
  • EDGAR MEYER
  • ELLIOTT SHARP & ERIC MINGUS
  • EYVIND KANG & JESSIKA KENNEY
  • FATOUMATA DIAWARA
  • FAUN FABLES
  • FLYSIIFU
  • FRED FRITH
  • HATIS NOIT
  • HELEN GILLET
  • HENRY THREADGILL
  • HERBIE HANCOCK
  • HERMANOS GUTIÉRREZ
  • HORSE LORDS
  • HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF
  • JAKE BLOUNT
  • JAMES BRANDON LEWIS
  • JASON MORAN AND THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS
  • JG THIRLWELL + ENSEMBLE
  • JLIN
  • JOAN SHELLEY
  • JOANNA STERNBERG
  • JOHN PAUL JONES
  • JULIAN LAGE AND THE SPEAK TO ME BAND
  • KASSA OVERALL
  • KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
  • KOKOROKO
  • KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS
  • LAURIE ANDERSON
  • MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG
  • MARY HALVORSON
  • MATT MITCHELL
  • MAVI
  • MOLLY LEWIS
  • MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY
  • MR. SUN
  • MYRA MELFORD’S FIRE & WATER
  • NIK BÄRTSCH’S RONIN
  • RHIANNON GIDDENS
  • RINGDOWN (CAROLINE SHAW & DANNI LEE)
  • ROBIN HOLCOMB
  • ROC MARCIANO
  • ROGER ENO
  • SAM AMIDON
  • SAMORA PINDERHUGHES
  • SECRET CHIEFS 3
  • SEXMOB
  • SHABAKA HUTCHINGS
  • SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM
  • SOFÍA REI & JORGE ROEDER
  • SON ROMPE PERA
  • SONS OF CHIPOTLE (JOHN PAUL JONES & ANSSI KARTTUNEN)
  • THE MESSTHETICS
  • THIRD COAST PERCUSSION
  • TITAN TO TACHYONS
  • TOMEKA REID QUARTET
  • TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO
  • TREDICI BACCI
  • TREVOR DUNN’S TRIO-CONVULSANT AVEC FOLIE À QUATRE
  • TRIO MEDIÆVAL
  • UNWOUND
  • VOID PATROL
  • WAYNE HORVITZ GRAVITAS QUARTET
  • YASMIN WILLIAMS
  • ZSELA
Big Ears 2023: March 30-April 2, 2023
  • 700 Bliss
  • Abe Rounds
  • Adia Victoria
  • Allison Russell
  • Amadou & Mariam
  • Amaryllis & Belladonna
  • Andrew Bird
  • Antonio Sánchez
  • Arooj Aftab
  • Ava Mendoza
  • Bad Hombre
  • Béla Fleck
  • Bill Frisell
  • Bill Laswell
  • Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet
  • Blake Mills
  • Bonny Light Horseman
  • Brian Marsella
  • Bryan Sutton
  • Calexico
  • Carl Stone
  • Carol Emanuel
  • Caroline
  • Caterina Barbieri
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant
  • Chamber Music
  • Charles Lloyd
  • Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul
  • Christian McBride
  • Cobra
  • Dave Lombardo
  • David Moore
  • David Murray
  • Devendra Banhart
  • Edgar Meyer Trios
  • Eliza Bagg
  • Elizabeth Bates
  • Fujita
  • Gatos Do Sul
  • Gnostic Trio
  • Grouper
  • Gyan Riley
  • Ibeyi
  • Ichiko Aoba
  • In Order To Survive
  • Iron & Wine
  • JACK Quartet
  • James Blood Ulmer
  • Joe Lovano
  • John Medeski
  • John Zorn
  • Josephine Foster
  • Joshua Roman
  • Julian Lage
  • Justin Moses
  • Kali Malone
  • Kenny Wollesen
  • Kevin Morby
  • Kinfolk
  • Kirsten Sollek
  • Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
  • Lonnie Holley
  • Los Cubanos Postizos & The Jazz-bins
  • Los Lobos
  • Love In Exile
  • Maeve Gilchrist
  • Makaya McCraven
  • Marc Ribot
  • Mark Schatz
  • Mary Halvorson
  • Mayan Space Station
  • Michael Cleveland
  • Michael Nicolas
  • MIVOS Quartet
  • Nate Smith
  • Nate Wooley
  • Nate Wooley & Carol Robinson
  • Nove Cantici
  • Painkiller
  • Pino Palladino
  • Rachel Calloway
  • Rafiq Bhatia
  • Reid Anderson
  • Rich Ruth
  • Rickie Lee Jones
  • Sae Hashimoto
  • Sam Gendel
  • Sam Wilkes
  • Sarah Brailey
  • Shahzad Ismaily
  • Sierra Ferrell
  • Sierra Hull
  • Son Lux
  • Sona Jobarteh
  • Steve Gunn
  • Steve Reich
  • Tarbaby
  • Tarta Relena
  • Terry Allen and Panhandle Mystery Band
  • Tessa Lark
  • The Bad Plus
  • The Mountain Goats
  • The Weather Station
  • Trigger
  • Tyshawn Sorey
  • Vijay Iyer
  • Vinicius Cantuaria
  • William Parker
  • Xylouris White
  • Yarn
  • Yura Lee
  • Zoh Amba
Big Ears 2022: March 24-27, 2022
  • Patti Smith and Her Band
  • John Medeski
  • Julian Lage Trio
  • Ben Lamar Gay
  • Claire Rousay
  • 75 Dollar Bill
  • 79rs Gang Mardi Gras Indians
  • Alabaster dePlume
  • Ambrose Akinmusire
  • Andrew Cyrille
  • Andy Shauf
  • Angel Bat Dawid
  • Animal Collective
  • Annette Peacock
  • Areni Agbabian
  • Arooj Aftab
  • Attacca Quartet
  • Aurora Nealand & The Royal Noises
  • Balún
  • Bang on a Can All Stars
  • Bill Callahan
  • Bill Frisell
  • Bonny Light Horseman
  • Caroline Shaw
  • Cassandra Jenkins
  • Ches Smith
  • Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
  • Craig Taborn
  • Dafnis Prieto
  • Damon Locks
  • Dan Weiss
  • Dawn Richard
  • Dos Santos
  • Efterklang
  • Ellen Reid
  • Ellis Ludwig-Leone
  • Fennesz
  • Georgia Anne Muldrow
  • Gyan Riley
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Jaimie Branch
  • James McVinnie
  • Jason Moran
  • Jeff Parker and the New Breed
  • Joe Henry
  • John Hollenbeck
  • John Zorn
  • Joseph Branciforte
  • Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society
  • Kim Gordon
  • Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
  • Kris Davis
  • Kronos Quartet
  • L’Rain
  • Lakou Mizik
  • Leyla McCalla
  • Lido Pimienta
  • Lisel
  • Low
  • Marc Ribot
  • Mary Lattimore
  • Mdou Moctar
  • Meredith Monk
  • Moses Sumney
  • mssv
  • Myra Melford
  • Nathalie Joachim
  • Nubya Garcia
  • Pedrito Martinez
  • Preservation Hall Jazz Band
  • RAM
  • Ron Miles
  • Sarah Davachi
  • Saul Williams
  • Shabaka Hutchings
  • So Percussion
  • Sons of Kemet
  • Sparks
  • Spektral Quartet
  • Sporty’s Brass Band
  • Sudan Archives
  • Terry Allen and Panhandle Mystery Band
  • Theo Bleckmann
  • Theon Cross
  • Tristan Perich
  • Val Jeanty
  • William Tyler
  • Yves Tumor
Big Ears 2020: March 26-29, 2020
  • 75 Dollar Bill
  • Andrew Cyrille
  • Annette Peacock
  • Anthony Braxton
  • Areni Agbabian
  • Arooj Aftab and the Vulture Prince Ensemble
  • Astrid Sonne
  • Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses
  • A Winged Victory for the Sullen
  • Bell Orchestre
  • Ben LaMar Gay Quartet
  • Bang on a Can All-Stars
  • Caroline Shaw
  • Caroline Shaw
  • Caterina Barbieri
  • Che Apalache
  • Christian Scott
  • D. Scot Williams
  • Damo Suzuki Network
  • Dan Weiss Starebaby
  • Daniel Pioro & Valgeir Siguròssen
  • Devendra Banhart
  • Dos Santos
  • Efterklang
  • Electric Appalachia
  • Fennesz
  • Gyan Riley
  • Gyða Valtýsdóttir
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Jacob Kirkegaard
  • Jaimie Branch’s Fly or Die
  • Jason Moran
  • Jeff Parker and The New Breed
  • Joe Henry’s 115th Dream
  • Josephine Foster
  • Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society
  • Kim Myhr
  • Kronos Quartet
  • Marc Ribot
  • Maurice Louca
  • Mdou Moctar
  • Meredith Monk
  • Moonlight Benjamin
  • MSSV
  • Múm
  • Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret
  • MZM
  • Nadah El Shazly
  • Nathalie Joachim & Spektral Quartet
  • nief-norf
  • Nivhek
  • Patti Smith and Her Band
  • Paul Lazar’s Cage Shuffle
  • Peter Brötzmann
  • Sam Gendel Concert Group
  • Sarah Davachi
  • Saul Williams
  • Shabaka and the Ancestors
  • Sō Percussion
  • Sonja Labianca
  • Sons of Chipotle
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements
  • Sudan Archives
  • Tamino
  • Terry Riley
  • The Claudia Quintent
  • The Haden Triplets
  • The Necks
  • Theremin Noir
  • Thundercat
  • Tindersticks
  • Xylouris White
Big Ears 2019: March 21-24, 2019
  • ACME
  • Alvin Lucier
  • Avishai Cohen Quartet
  • Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan
  • Bill Frisell and the Mesmerists
  • Brooklyn Rider
  • Carl Stone
  • Carla Bley TRIOS
  • Carla Kihlstedt
  • Clarice Jensen + Jonathan Turner
  • Coupler
  • DeJohnette Coltrane Garrison
  • Derek Gripper
  • Evan Parker / Matt Wright Trance Map+
  • Ever Present Orchestra
  • Harold Budd
Big Ears 2018: March 22-25, 2018
  • ABIGAIL WASHBURN & WU FEI
  • AINE O’DWYER
  • ALGIERS
  • ALICE COLTRANE TURIYASANGITANANDA
  • ANNA & ELIZABETH
  • ANNA THORVALDSDOTTIR
  • ARTO LINDSAY
  • BANG ON A CAN ALL STARS
  • BANGS (JASON MORAN, MARY HALVORSON, AND RON MILES)
  • BÉLA FLECK & ABIGAIL WASHBURN
  • BÉLA FLECK & BROOKLYN RIDER
  • CLEEK SCHREY & DAVID BEHRMAN
  • CRAIG TABORN QUARTET
  • CYRO BAPTISTA AND BANQUET OF THE SPIRITS
  • CYRO BAPTISTA PRESENTS ‘VIRA LOUCOS’
  • DIAMANDA GALÁS
  • DUET FOR THEREMIN & LAP STEEL
  • EVAN PARKER ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC ENSEMBLE
  • FOUR TET
  • GAS (WOLFGANG VOIGT)
  • GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR
  • INNOV GNAWA
  • INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE
  • JAGA JAZZIST
  • JAGA JAZZIST FEATURING STÅLE STORLØKKEN & JON BALKE
  • JASON MORAN DUO WITH MILFORD GRAVES
  • JASON MORAN PRESENTS ‘FATS WALLER DANCE PARTY’
  • JENNY HVAL
  • JENNY SCHEINMAN ‘MISCHIEF & MAYHEM’
  • JUANA MOLINA
  • JULIE BYRNE
  • KELLY LEE OWENS
  • KID KOALA
  • KID KOALA’S ‘SATELLITE’ TURNTABLE ORCHESTRA
  • KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY STRINGS
  • LAUREL HALO
  • LIGHTNING BOLT
  • LUCIUS
  • MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD
  • MILFORD GRAVES
  • NELS CLINE
  • NIEF-NORF
  • PETER EVANS ENSEMBLE
  • ROCKET SCIENCE
  • ROSCOE MITCHELL TRIOS
  • ROSTAM
  • ROVA CHANNELING COLTRANE: ‘ELECTRIC ASCENSION’
  • ROVA: THE ‘SOUND IN SPACE’ PROJECT
  • SAM AMIDON
  • STEVE GUNN & THE BLACK TWIG PICKERS
  • STIAN WESTERHUS
  • SUSANNA FEAT. GIOVANNA PESSI, FRODE HALTLI & CHEYENNE MIZE
  • SUUNS
  • TAL NATIONAL
  • THE BLACK TWIG PICKERS
  • THE JERRY DOUGLAS

 

Big Ears 2017: March 23-26, 2017
  • Ahleuchatistas
  • Alvin Curran
  • American Contemporary Music Ensemble Blonde Redhead feat. ACME
  • Carla Bley Trio with Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard
  • Carla Bley with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra Claire Chase
  • Colin Stetson presents ‘Sorrow’: A Reimagining of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony
  • Colleen The Crossing
  • Dave Harrington Group
  • DakhaBrahka Deathprod
  • Deerhoof
  • DJ/rupture Emilia Amper
  • Frederic Rzewski
  • Frode Haltli: ‘The Border Woods’ Gavin Bryars Ensemble
  • Glenn Kotche
  • Henry Grimes Henry Threadgill’s Zooid
  • Horse Lords
  • Imarhan Jace Clayton presents Julius Eastman Memorial Dinner
  • Joan Shelley
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson’s ‘Drone Mass’ feat. ACME Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge | Aoife O’Donovan
  • Junun featuring Shye Ben Tzur and The Rajasthan Express
  • Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Knoxville Jazz Orchestra
  • Lætitia Sadier
  • Lisa Moore The Magentic Fields: ‘Fifty Song Memoir’
  • Matmos perform Robert Ashley’s ‘Perfect Lives (Private Parts)’
  • Maya Beiser Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble: The Soul’s Messenger
  • Michael Hurley
  • Musica Elettronica Viva (Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum, & Frederic Rzewski) My Brightest Diamond
  • Nief-Norf
  • Nils Økland Band Oliver Coates
  • On Fillmore
  • Philip Jeck Prism
  • Rachel Grimes ‘The Way Forth’ Featuring Joan Shelley and Nathan Salsburg
  • Rangda Richard Teitelbaum
  • Sarah Kirkland Snider Unremembered – DM Stith, Shara Worden, Padma Newsome, The Knights
  • Shane Parish Sir Richard Bishop
  • Six Organs of Admittance
  • Ståle Storløkken Ståle Storløkken & Arve Henriksen
  • Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone
  • Supersilent Theatre of Voices
  • Tortoise
  • Wilco Wu Fei
  • Xiu Xiu
  • Yasmine Hamdan Yuki Numata Resnick
  • Nils Økland & Sigbjørn Apeland
  • Knoxville Chamber Orchestra directed by Aram Demirjan Matthew Shipp
  • Jeremy Gara
  • Bobby Kapp & Matthew Shipp Jeff Tweedy meets Chikamorachi (Chris Corsano & Darin Gray)
  • Quindar (Mikael Jorgensen & James Merle Thomas)
  • Theo Bleckmann Duo
  • Frode Haltli
  • Xylouris White White Magic
  • The Quavers
  • Matana Roberts Jessica Moss
  • Nils Økland & Mats Eilertsen
Big Ears 2016: March 31-April 2, 2016
  • Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
  • The Gloaming
  • Yo La Tengo
  • Andy Stott
  • Tony Conrad
  • Wolf Eyes
  • Marc Ribot
  • Xylouris White
  • Zeena Parkins & Tony Buck
  • Olivia Chaney
  • Mamiffer
  • Andrew Bird
  • Anthony Braxton Tentet
  • Outside the Dream Syndicate (Tony Conrad with Faust)
  • Nicolas Jaar (DJ)
  • Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith
  • eighth blackbird with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Bryce Dessner
  • Yo La Tengo & Lampchop
  • Shabazz Palaces
  • Steven Schick
  • Bombino
  • Joe Henry & Marc Ribot
  • Phantom Orchard
  • Chris Abrahams
  • Molly Nilsson
  • An Evening with Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass
  • Sunn O)))
  • Nico Muhly, Ben Frost, Sam Amidon, & Valgeir Sigurðsson
  • The Necks
  • Kiasmos (Ólafur Arnalds & Janus Rasmussen)
  • Angel Olsen
  • Lambchop
  • Anthony Braxton Trio
  • Faust
  • Kamasi Washington
  • Mary Halvorson
  • Hieroglyphic Being
  • Circuit des Yeux
  • Ikue Mori
  • nief-norf
Big Ears 2015: March 27-29, 2015
  • A Winged Victory for the Sullen
  • Amen Dunes
  • Ben Frost
  • Bill Frisell
  • Bing & Ruth
  • Bryce Dessner
  • Clark
  • Grouper
  • Gyan Riley
  • Harold Budd & Keith Lowe
  • Häxan re-scored by Demdike Stare
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir
  • Holly Herndon
  • Jamie xx
  • Jozef Van Wissem
  • Kronos Quartet
  • Laurie Anderson
  • Max Richter
  • Nels Cline
  • Nosaj Thing
  • Omar Souleyman
  • Perfume Genius
  • Rhiannon Giddens
  • Ryley Walker
  • Sam Amidon
  • SQÜRL
  • Steve Gunn
  • Swans
  • Tanya Tagaq
  • Terry Riley
  • The Bad Plus
  • tUnE-yArDs
  • William Tyler
  • Wu Man
Big Ears 2014: March 28-30, 2014
  • Bill Orcutt
  • Body/Head
  • Buke and Gase
  • Colin Stetson
  • David Greenberger and Prime Lens
  • Dawn of Midi
  • Dean & Britta: 13 Most Beautiful:  Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests
  • Dean Wareham
  • Earth
  • Ensemble Signal
  • Glenn Kotche
  • Hailu Mergia and Low Mentality
  • Jenny Hval
  • John Cale
  • Jonny Greenwood
  • Julia Holter
  • Keiji Haino (solo)
  • Laraaji
  • Lonnie Holley
  • Low
  • Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos
  • Mark McGuire
  • Nazoranai (Keiji Haino, Oren Ambarchi, Stephen O’Malley)
  • Nils Frahm
  • Oneohtrix Point Never
  • So Percussion
  • Son Lux
  • Stephen O’Malley and Oren Ambarchi (duo)
  • Steve Reich
  • Susanna
  • Television
  • Tim Hecker
  • Vatican Shadow
  • Vladislav Delay