The lineup for the 2019 Big Ears Festival has been expanded. The fest includes one of the first productions of TRIPTYCH, "a multimedia project that explores the legacy of provocative New York photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe" with new music by The National's Bryce Dessner and "interpretations of Monteverdi’s madrigals" by vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, as well as Spiritualized, Mercury Rev, Richard Thompson (doing his Killed In Action song cycle), Yves Tumor, Sons of Kemet, Bill Frisell, Jlin, Vijay Iyer, Meredith Monk, The Ever Present Orchestra (featuring Stephen O’Malley and Oren Ambarchi) performing Alvin Lucier's work, an ECM Records 50th anniversary celebration, an Art Ensemble of Chicago 50th anniversary celebration, a celebration of the music of ambient pioneer Harold Budd, and more.

As we mentioned previously, the fest also includes Nils Frahm, Mary Halvorson, Lonnie Holley, Fugazi offshoot The Messthetics, and more. Updated lineup below, and stay tuned for even more acts TBA.

Big Ears goes down March 21-24 in Knoxville, TN. Weekend passes are still on sale.

BIG EARS FEST 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

& many more to come!