Big Ears Festival, one of the most ambitious gatherings around the country, will return to downtown Knoxville, TN, in March with an expansive lineup featuring iconic artists from an array of genres, plus new musical works and more.

Included in the newly revealed offerings are a 50th anniversary celebration from The Art Ensemble of Chicago; an early production of TRIPTYCH, a multimedia experience celebrating the work of legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and featuring music composed by The National’s Bryce Dessner and more; and The Nashville Ballet’s first non-hometown performance of Lucy Negro Redux featuring music composed by Rhiannon Giddens.

Other artists featured in Big Ears’ 2019 lineup are Bill Frisell, Richard Thompson, Giddens teaming up with Francesco Turrisi, Nils Frahm, Spiritualized, Mercury Rev, Mary Halvorson, Jack DeJohnette and many more. See the full announced list of participants below.

Tickets and more information on Big Ears 2019, which is set for March 21–24, can be found at the festival’s website.

 

Big Ears 2019 Lineup

ACME

Alvin Lucier

Avishai Cohen Quartet

Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan

Bill Frisell and the Mesmerists featuring Tony Scheer, Kenny Wollesen and the films of Bill Morrison

Brooklyn Rider

Carl Stone

Carla Bley TRIOS with Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow

Carla Kihlstedt

Clarice Jensen + Jonathan Turner: For this from that will be filled

Coupler

DeJohnette Coltrane Garrison

Derek Gripper

Evan Parker / Matt Wright Trance Map+

Ever Present Orchestra featuring Stephen O’Malley and Oren Ambarchi

Harold Budd

International Contemporary Ensemble performing the work of Carla Kihlstedt, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Ellen Reid, Ashley Fure

Irreversible Entanglements

Jerusalem In My Heart

Jlin

Joan La Barbara: Voice is the Original Instrument

Joep Beving

Kara-Lis Coverdale

Kayhan Kalhor

Kim Kashkashian

Lonnie Holley

Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl

Mathias Eick Quintet

Matt Wilson’s Honey & Salt

Mercury Rev

Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble Cellular Songs

Nashville Ballet: Lucy Negro Redux
Conceived, directed, and choreographed by Paul Vasterling
with music composed and performed by Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi
and poetry by Caroline Randall Williams

nief-norf

Nik Bärtsch’s RONIN

Nils Frahm

Peter Gregson

Rachel Grimes: The Way Forth

Rafiq Bhatia: Breaking English

Ralph Towner

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi

Richard Thompson: Killed in Action

Roomful of Teeth

Schlippenbach Trio

Shai Maestro Trio

Sons of Kemet

Spiritualized

Sun of Goldfinger (David Torn, Tim Berne, Ches Smith)

The Art Ensemble of Chicago

The Comet is Coming

The Messthetics

Theo Bleckmann: Berlin – Songs of Love and War, Peace and Exile – and – Hello Earth! The Music of Kate Bush

Thumbscrew

Tim Berne’s Snakeoil

TRIPTYCH: On the Work of Robert Mapplethorpe
Featuring Roomful of Teeth. Composed by Bryce Dessner. Libretto by Korde Arrington Tuttle feat. the work of Patti Smith & Essex Hemphill. Directed by Daniel Fish

Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn

Wadada Leo Smith’s Nda, Performing “Divine Love” With Bobby Naughton and Dwight Andrews

Wadada Leo Smith Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk

Yves Tumor