Big Ears Festival 2015 Roster Revealed

BIG EARS FESTIVAL REVEALS INITIAL 2015 LINEUP

LAURIE ANDERSON, TERRY RILEY, TUNE-YARDS, MAX RICHTER, SWANS,
BEN FROST, THE BAD PLUS, BILL FRISELL, JAMIE XX, AND MANY MORE
JOIN ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
KRONOS QUARTET

WEEKEND PASSES ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 AT 12 PM ET

Blending the finest in contemporary classical music with groundbreaking indie rock bands, leading jazz greats, visionary folk artists, and the indefinable avant-garde, the internationally acclaimed Big Ears Festival reveals its initial lineup for the 2015 festival, taking place March 27-29 in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee at the historic Tennessee and Bijou Theatres, the intimate Square Room, the Knoxville Museum of Art and more.

Previously announced artists-in-residence Kronos Quartet will perform several concerts throughout the festival weekend, including collaborations with several guest artists. One such collaboration will see the iconic Laurie Anderson performing her Kronos collaboration “Landfall,” inspired by Anderson’s experience of Hurricane Sandy and praised by The New York Times as “awash in elegiac string sounds and postmillennial gloom.” Other Kronos collaborators will include Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, The National guitarist / composer and Big Ears alum Bryce Dessner, and 2014 Polaris Music Prize recipient Tanya Tagaq. Composer Terry Riley, whose work has been championed by Kronos for decades, will also perform at the festival in celebration of his 80th birthday year.

Acclaimed German composer Max Richter will collaborate with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in a performance of his highly acclaimed “Vivialdi: The Four Seasons: Recomposed,” while also presenting a concert of his Chamber Music. Emblematic composer Harold Budd, known for his beautiful ambient music and his work with Brian Eno and the Cocteau Twins, will present a rare live concert, alongside bassist Keith Lowe, celebrating the breadth of his monumental work, “a source of appreciation for the sounds and sights around us” writes NPR.

Rounding out the festival will be an exciting cast of contemporary artists featuring tUnE-yArDs, Jamie xx, Perfume Genius, Ben Frost, Grouper and more, including Michael Gira’s seminal New York rock outfit Swans, virtuosic guitarist Steve Gunn, evocative psychedelic rocker Amen Dunes, and the hypnotic rock of SQÜRL, comprised of Jim Jarmusch, Carter Logan, and Shane Stoneback.

In addition, leading contemporary jazz trio The Bad Plus, along with revered guitarist and composer Bill Frisell, will appear at the festival. This year, Big Ears will also celebrate its Appalachian roots with performances by folk artist Sam Amidon and Rhiannon Giddens, founding member of Grammy-winning old-time revivalists Caroline Chocolate Drops.

Another exciting component of the 2015 festival will be the opportunity for music to interface with film, visual art and more. Big Ears will also offer special discussion sessions with the artists and a variety of special events and secret shows. Lineup additions, details on all Big Ears interactive projects and activities, and more will be revealed leading into the festival.

Weekend passes will go on sale this Friday, November 14 at 12pm ET at the special rate of $153.50 plus fees while supplies last. After that, tickets will be priced at $178.50 plus fees before moving to the final allotment at $199.50 plus fees. Single day passes will be made available if supplies last at a future date to be announced in early 2015.

A portion of each ticket sold will benefit music and arts education programs through Knoxville’s own Joy of Music School and Community School of the Arts. In addition to the donation, Big Ears will host exclusive opportunities for students to interact with festival artists and attend special workshops, aligning with their mission of providing a musical education and mentorship to the disadvantaged that would not exist otherwise.

Initial Lineup:
Kronos Quartet: 2015 Artists-in-Residence
Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet “Landfall”
Terry Riley & Gyan Riley
tUnE-yArDs
Max Richter Chamber Ensemble
Max Richter: “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Recomposed” with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
Swans
Ben Frost
Bryce Dessner
The Bad Plus
Bill Frisell
Jamie xx
Perfume Genius
Rhiannon Giddens
Tanya Tagaq
Clark
“Häxan” re-scored by Demdike Stare
Grouper
SQÜRL
Sam Amidon
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Nosaj Thing
Harold Budd & Keith Lowe
Steve Gunn
Nels Cline
Amen Dunes
Jozef Van Wissem
Hildur Guðnadóttir
Holly Herndon