Declared "the classiest, most diverse festival in the country" by Rolling Stones magazine and praised by Philip Glass as a "tremendous experience," Knoxville's own Big Ears Festival is gearing up for another weekend of mind-blowing collaborations, incredible music, art exhibitions, film screenings, and more.
Past years' lineups have featured well-known composers: Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich; world-renowned ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, So Percussion, and The Bad Plus; icons like John Cale, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and Silver Apples...among many, many others.
This year's composer-in-residence is Pulitzer prize and Grammy award winning composer, John Luther Adams, whose music is profoundly influenced by the natural world, and who is hailed by The New Yorker as "one of the most original music thinkers of the new century."
The Big Ears Festival takes place in various venues throughout downtown Knoxville over a three day period. This year, the dates are March 31st through April 2nd.
A couple of days ago, founder of the festival, Ashley Capps, talked with Morning Concert host, Melony Dodson, about this year's exciting lineup, how he decides on the lineup, and some changes with this year's festival.
