Photo Credit David Simchock
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.
Festival Info
Festival Poster
2017 Artist Lineup
- 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