BIG EARS FESTIVAL EXPANDS TO 4 DAYS INITIAL 2017 FESTIVAL LINEUP REVEALED

Composers GAVIN BRYARS, JÓHANN JÓHANNSSÓN, MEREDITH MONK legends CARLA BLEY, HENRY GRIMES, HENRY THREADGILL Experimental pioneers MUSICA ELETTRONICA VIVA (Alvin Curran / / ) + ’s enigmatic sonic explorers ( / Helge Sten / Ståle Storløkken)

American torchbearers WILCO STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS present 50 Song Memoir presents Misery Is a Butterfly THE CROSSING perform GAVIN BRYARS and DAVID LANG RACHEL GRIMES premieres The Way Forth with Joan Shelley & Nathan Salsburg MATMOS performs ROBERT ASHLEY’s Perfect Lives (Private Parts) JACE CLAYTON presents Julius Eastman Memorial Dinner COLIN STETSON presents Sorrow: a reimagining of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony SARAH KIRKLAND SNIDER: Unremembered with Shara Nova (My Brightest Diamond)

Plus MAYA BEISER, , TORTOISE, JUNUN, OLIVER COATES, MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND, XIU XIU, MICHAEL HURLEY, and many more

NEARLY 100 PERFORMANCES BY OVER 60 EXTRAORDINARY ARTISTS, plus expanded film program, installations, exhibitions, discussions, and more surprises still to come

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

October 5, 2016 – Knoxville, TN – Described as “one of the most quietly earth-shattering, subtly luminous festivals the world over” by the Oxford American, the Big Ears Festival will return to Knoxville, Tennessee’s historic downtown for the weekend of March 23 – 26, 2017, expanding to 4 days and new venues, including two beautiful downtown churches, with nearly 100 performances from over 60 of the world’s most extraordinary musical creators – coming from , jazz, rock, electronica, folk, bluegrass, and beyond. GA and VIP Weekend Passes, along with the newly announced “Premier Weekend Pass,” are on sale now at BigEarsFestival.com.

This year’s Big Ears Festival lineup is a rich and diverse musical feast.

Several of the most highly regarded and influential artists of the past half-century will perform: jazz pianist / Carla Bley (performing twice, once with trio and once with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra); British composer Gavin Bryars (astonishingly performing for the first time ever in the USA with his own ensemble); the great jazz bassist Henry Grimes with his quartet; eccentric American folksinger Michael Hurley; “magician of the voice” Meredith Monk with her ensemble; Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski, and Richard Teitelbaum, performing together in their almost mythic improvisational group Musica Elettronica Viva as well as presenting their own individual performances; plus composer / reedman Henry Threadgill (winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Music) with his band, Zooid.

Wilco will hold down the alt-rock foundation while Stephin Merritt & the Magnetic Fields will perform Merritt’s new 50 Song Memoir over two evenings; Icelandic composer (and Golden Globe winner) Jóhann Jóhannsson will present Drone Mass; Blonde Redhead will perform their classic Misery Is a Butterfly; the “cello goddess” Maya Beiser will return with two new programs, including David Lang’s powerful World to Come; composer / pianist Rachel Grimes premieres her new “folk ” The Way Forth, with Joan Shelley and Nathan Salsburg; composer Sarah Kirkland Snider’s beautiful song cycle Unremembered will be sung by Shara Nova (My Brightest Diamond), Padme Newsome (Clogs, The National) and DM Stith; saxophonist Colin Stetson (, ) will present Sorrow, his “reimagining” of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony; saxophonist / composer Steve Lehman will bring his international jazz / hip hop project, Sélébéyone; Junun, the extraordinary collaboration featuring Israeli composer / singer Shye Ben Tzur and the Express, will perform; the groundbreaking choral group, The Crossing, will perform David Lang’s stunning The Little Match Girl Passion (which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music) in a second concert, in addition to Gavin Bryars’ choral meditation, The Fifth Century.

Two other special projects will showcase the work of two late , whose influence on contemporary music continues to grow. Matmos will perform their staging of three key sections of the late Robert Ashley’s “opera for television” Perfect Lives (Private Parts) for the first time in the US, and producer Jace Clayton (DJ/rupture) will present his engaging Julius Eastman Memorial Dinner, celebrating the troubled and neglected African-American composer Julius Eastman, whose legacy grows stronger than ever a quarter of a century after his tragic death.

Norway’s improvisational supergroup Supersilent will give their first US concert since 2004, with master trumpeter / vocalist Arve Henriksen and keyboardist Ståle Storløkken performing separate concerts. Helge Sten will also deliver a rare performance. In addition, Norwegian hardanger fiddle master Nils Økland will give his first concert ever in the US, performing with his band as well as in a more intimate setting. Also from Norway, the accordion virtuoso will present his powerful piece The Border Woods, weaving traditional Scandinavian folk traditions with Middle Eastern influences.

There’s so much more: indie heavy hitters like Deerhoof, Læticia Sadier (Stereolab), Colleen, Dave Harrington (Darkside), My Brightest Diamond, Xiu Xiu and Tortoise; international voices like Ukraine’s DhakaBrahka, Chinese guzheng master Wu Fei, and African urban Tuareg band Imarhan; groundbreaking contemporary classical artists like cellist Oliver Coates (deemed ’s “secret weapon” on their latest record); pianist Lisa Moore; percussionist (and Wilco drummer) Glenn Kotche; flutist and music entrepreneur Claire Chase; composer and producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith; vocalist Theo Bleckmann; ensembles American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and Theatre of Voices; underground legends Ahleuchatistas, Rangda, Sir Richard Bishop, Six Organs of Admittance, and turntablist ; Baltimore rockers Horse Lords; young jazz guitar wizard Julian Lage with Punch Brothers’ picker Chris “Critter” Eldridge; plus folk singers Aoife O’Donovan and Joan Shelley.

There will be more solo performances, collaborations, permutations and surprises. Plus, there’ll be more musical additions, an extraordinary film program plus installations, exhibitions, talks, discussions, interactive experiences, food, wine, beer and countless surprises to share in the coming weeks. We look forward to having you join us in 2017! Details will continue to unfold at BigEarsFestival.com, as well as on Big Ears’ Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

2017 Lineup: Ahleuchatistas Alvin Curran American Contemporary Music Ensemble Blonde Redhead featuring American Contemporary Music Ensemble 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 DakhaBrahka Dave Harrington Group 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 featuring American Contemporary Music Ensemble 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 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 Rachel Grimes "The Way Forth" Featuring Joan Shelley and Nathan Salsburg Rangda Richard Teitelbaum Sarah Kirkland Snider Unremembered: DM Stith, Shara Worden, Padma Newsome Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone Shane Parish Sir Richard Bishop Six Organs of Admittance Ståle Storløkken Ståle Storløkken & Arve Henriksen Supersilent The Crossing The Magnetic Fields: Fifty Song Memoir Theatre of Voices Theo Bleckmann Tortoise Wilco Wu Fei Xiu Xiu Yasmine Hamdan Yuki Numata Resnick

Additional Information: In only a few short years, the Big Ears Festival has established itself as one of the most exciting and imaginative cultural gatherings in the world, bringing together a virtual who’s who of established and acclaimed iconoclasts, innovators and influencers with younger artists who are synthesizing their own experiences into fresh, new creative work. Located in the heart of downtown Knoxville – and taking place in its world-class historic theaters, excellent clubs, and unique alternative performance spaces – all within easy walking distance of one another and intermingled with superb restaurants, bars, and shops – Big Ears offers a unparalleled experience for adventurous artists and audiences alike. While primarily focused on music, Big Ears is also developing a strong independent / experimental film component while also presenting installations, exhibitions, interactive experiences, talks, discussions, food, beer, wine and more. More festival details will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Contact: Carla Parisi Kid Logic [email protected] 973-563-8204

###