BIGEARSFESTIVALEXPANDSTO4DAYSINITIAL2017FESTIVALLINEUPREVEALED
ComposersGAVINBRYARS,JÓHANNJÓHANNSSÓN,MEREDITHMONK
JazzlegendsCARLABLEY,HENRYGRIMES,HENRYTHREADGILLExperimentalpioneersMUSICAELETTRONICAVIVA(AlvinCurran/FredericRzewski/RichardTeitelbaum)
+Norway’senigmaticsonicexplorersSUPERSILENT(ArveHenriksen/HelgeSten/StåleStorløkken)
AmericanalternativerocktorchbearersWILCOSTEPHINMERRITTANDTHEMAGNETICFIELDSpresent50SongMemoir
BLONDEREDHEADpresentsMiseryIsaButterflyTHECROSSINGperformGAVINBRYARSandDAVIDLANG
RACHELGRIMESpremieresTheWayForthwithJoanShelley&NathanSalsburgMATMOSperformsROBERTASHLEY’sPerfectLives(PrivateParts)
JACECLAYTONpresentsJuliusEastmanMemorialDinnerCOLINSTETSONpresentsSorrow:areimaginingofGorecki’s3rdSymphony
SARAHKIRKLANDSNIDER:UnrememberedwithSharaNova(MyBrightestDiamond)
PlusMAYABEISER,DEERHOOF,TORTOISE,JUNUN,OLIVERCOATES,MYBRIGHTESTDIAMOND,XIUXIU,MICHAELHURLEY,andmanymore
NEARLY100PERFORMANCESBYOVER60EXTRAORDINARYARTISTS,plus
expandedfilmprogram,installations,exhibitions,discussions,andmoresurprisesstilltocome
TICKETSONSALENOW!
October5,2016–Knoxville,TN–Describedas“oneofthemostquietlyearth-shattering,subtlyluminousfestivalstheworldover”bytheOxfordAmerican,theBigEarsFestivalwillreturntoKnoxville,Tennessee’shistoricdowntownfortheweekendofMarch23–26,2017,expandingto4daysandnewvenues,includingtwobeautifuldowntownchurches,withnearly100performancesfromover60oftheworld’smostextraordinarymusicalcreators–comingfromclassicalmusic,jazz,rock,electronica,folk,bluegrass,andbeyond.GAandVIPWeekendPasses,alongwiththenewlyannounced“PremierWeekendPass,”areonsalenowatBigEarsFestival.com.Thisyear’sBigEarsFestivallineupisarichanddiversemusicalfeast.Severalofthemosthighlyregardedandinfluentialartistsofthepasthalf-centurywillperform:jazzpianist/composerCarlaBley(performingtwice,oncewithhertrioandoncewiththeKnoxvilleJazzOrchestra);BritishcomposerGavinBryars(astonishinglyperformingforthefirsttimeeverintheUSAwithhisownensemble);thegreatjazzbassistHenryGrimeswithhisquartet;eccentricAmericanfolksingerMichaelHurley;“magicianofthevoice”MeredithMonkwithher
ensemble;AlvinCurran,FredericRzewski,andRichardTeitelbaum,performingtogetherintheiralmostmythicimprovisationalgroupMusicaElettronicaVivaaswellaspresentingtheirownindividualperformances;pluscomposer/reedmanHenryThreadgill(winnerofthe2016PulitzerPrizeforMusic)withhisband,Zooid.Wilcowillholddownthealt-rockfoundationwhileStephinMerritt&theMagneticFieldswillperformMerritt’snew50SongMemoirovertwoevenings;Icelandiccomposer(andGoldenGlobewinner)JóhannJóhannssonwillpresentDroneMass;BlondeRedheadwillperformtheirclassicMiseryIsaButterfly;the“cellogoddess”MayaBeiserwillreturnwithtwonewprograms,includingDavidLang’spowerfulWorldtoCome;composer/pianistRachelGrimespremiereshernew“folkopera”TheWayForth,withJoanShelleyandNathanSalsburg;composerSarahKirklandSnider’sbeautifulsongcycleUnrememberedwillbesungbySharaNova(MyBrightestDiamond),PadmeNewsome(Clogs,TheNational)andDMStith;saxophonistColinStetson(ArcadeFire,BonIver)willpresentSorrow,his“reimagining”ofGorecki’s3rdSymphony;saxophonist/composerSteveLehmanwillbringhisinternationaljazz/hiphopproject,Sélébéyone;Junun,theextraordinarycollaborationfeaturingIsraelicomposer/singerShyeBenTzurandtheRajasthanExpress,willperform;thegroundbreakingchoralgroup,TheCrossing,willperformDavidLang’sstunningTheLittleMatchGirlPassion(whichwonthe2008PulitzerPrizeforMusic)inasecondconcert,inadditiontoGavinBryars’choralmeditation,TheFifthCentury.Twootherspecialprojectswillshowcasetheworkoftwolatecomposers,whoseinfluenceoncontemporarymusiccontinuestogrow.MatmoswillperformtheirstagingofthreekeysectionsofthelateRobertAshley’s“operafortelevision”PerfectLives(PrivateParts)forthefirsttimeintheUS,andproducerJaceClayton(DJ/rupture)willpresenthisengagingJuliusEastmanMemorialDinner,celebratingthetroubledandneglectedAfrican-AmericancomposerJuliusEastman,whoselegacygrowsstrongerthaneveraquarterofacenturyafterhistragicdeath.Norway’simprovisationalsupergroupSupersilentwillgivetheirfirstUSconcertsince2004,withmastertrumpeter/vocalistArveHenriksenandkeyboardistStåleStorløkkenperformingseparateconcerts.HelgeStenwillalsodeliverarareDeathprodperformance.Inaddition,NorwegianhardangerfiddlemasterNilsØklandwillgivehisfirstconcerteverintheUS,performingwithhisbandaswellasinamoreintimatesetting.AlsofromNorway,theaccordionvirtuosoFrodeHaltliwillpresenthispowerfulpieceTheBorderWoods,weavingtraditionalScandinavianfolktraditionswithMiddleEasterninfluences.There’ssomuchmore:indieheavyhitterslikeDeerhoof,LæticiaSadier(Stereolab),Colleen,DaveHarrington(Darkside),MyBrightestDiamond,XiuXiuandTortoise;internationalvoiceslikeUkraine’sDhakaBrahka,ChineseguzhengmasterWuFei,andAfricanurbanTuaregbandImarhan;groundbreakingcontemporaryclassicalartistslikecellistOliverCoates(deemedRadiohead’s“secretweapon”ontheirlatestrecord);pianistLisaMoore;percussionist(andWilcodrummer)GlennKotche;flutistandmusicentrepreneurClaireChase;composerandproducerKaitlynAureliaSmith;vocalistTheoBleckmann;ensemblesAmericanContemporaryMusicEnsemble(ACME)andTheatreofVoices;undergroundlegendsAhleuchatistas,Rangda,SirRichardBishop,SixOrgansofAdmittance,andturntablistPhilipJeck;BaltimorerockersHorseLords;youngjazzguitarwizardJulianLagewithPunchBrothers’pickerChris“Critter”Eldridge;plusfolksingersAoifeO’DonovanandJoanShelley.Therewillbemoresoloperformances,collaborations,permutationsandsurprises.Plus,there’llbemoremusicaladditions,anextraordinaryfilmprogramplusinstallations,exhibitions,talks,discussions,interactiveexperiences,food,wine,beerandcountlesssurprisestoshareinthecomingweeks.Welookforwardtohavingyoujoinusin2017!DetailswillcontinuetounfoldatBigEarsFestival.com,aswellasonBigEars’Facebook,Twitter,andInstagrampages.2017Lineup:AhleuchatistasAlvinCurranAmericanContemporaryMusicEnsembleBlondeRedheadfeaturingAmericanContemporaryMusicEnsembleCarlaBleyTriowithSteveSwallowandAndySheppardCarlaBleywiththeKnoxvilleJazzOrchestraClaireChaseColinStetsonpresentsSorrow:AReimaginingofGorecki's3rdSymphonyColleenDakhaBrahka
DaveHarringtonGroupDeathprodDeerhoofDJRuptureEmiliaAmperFredericRzewskiFrodeHaltli:TheBorderWoodsGavinBryarsEnsembleGlennKotcheHenryGrimesHenryThreadgill'sZooidHorseLordsImarhanJaceClaytonpresentsJuliusEastmanMemorialDinnerJoanShelleyJóhannJóhannsson'sDroneMassfeaturingAmericanContemporaryMusicEnsembleJulianLage&ChrisEldridge|AoifeO’DonovanJununfeaturingShyeBenTzurandTheRajasthanExpressKaitlynAureliaSmithKnoxvilleJazzOrchestraLætitiaSadierLisaMooreMatmosperformRobertAshley'sPerfectLives(PrivateParts)MayaBeiserMeredithMonk&VocalEnsemble:TheSoul’sMessengerMichaelHurleyMusicaElettronicaViva(AlvinCurran,RichardTeitelbaum,&FredericRzewski)MyBrightestDiamondNief-NorfNilsØklandBandOliverCoatesOnFillmorePhilipJeckRachelGrimes"TheWayForth"FeaturingJoanShelleyandNathanSalsburgRangdaRichardTeitelbaumSarahKirklandSniderUnremembered:DMStith,SharaWorden,PadmaNewsomeSteveLehman&SélébéyoneShaneParishSirRichardBishopSixOrgansofAdmittanceStåleStorløkkenStåleStorløkken&ArveHenriksenSupersilentTheCrossingTheMagneticFields:FiftySongMemoirTheatreofVoicesTheoBleckmannTortoiseWilcoWuFeiXiuXiuYasmineHamdanYukiNumataResnick
AdditionalInformation:Inonlyafewshortyears,theBigEarsFestivalhasestablisheditselfasoneofthemostexcitingandimaginativeculturalgatheringsintheworld,bringingtogetheravirtualwho’swhoofestablishedandacclaimediconoclasts,innovatorsandinfluencerswithyoungerartistswhoaresynthesizingtheirownexperiencesintofresh,newcreativework.LocatedintheheartofdowntownKnoxville–andtakingplaceinitsworld-classhistorictheaters,excellentclubs,anduniquealternativeperformancespaces–allwithineasywalkingdistanceofoneanotherandintermingledwithsuperbrestaurants,bars,andshops–BigEarsoffersaunparalleledexperienceforadventurousartistsandaudiencesalike.Whileprimarilyfocusedonmusic,BigEarsisalsodevelopingastrongindependent/experimentalfilmcomponentwhilealsopresentinginstallations,exhibitions,interactiveexperiences,talks,discussions,food,beer,wineandmore.Morefestivaldetailswillbeunveiledinthecomingweeks.Contact:[email protected]###
