Big Ears Fest To Feature Terry Riley

Legendary, influential composer to serve as Artist In Residence at the festival and will do several performances.

By Blurt Staff

Set your calendars for March 26-28: that's when the next annual Big Ears Festival will invade downtown Knoxville, Tenn., for the express purpose of putting on "visionary
music, exploratory art, and southern hospitality.

We are all about southern hospitality at BLURT. Go to the official festival website - www.bigearsfestival.com - for info and updates, and meanwhile, here are the Riley details:

Legendary American composer Terry Riley will be theArtist in Residence for the  weekend with a series of concerts throughout the weekend celebrating Riley's 75th Birthday year.  In addition, the weekend will feature an exciting array of artists and performers from the worlds of rock, jazz, classical, and avant-garde music along with installations, exhibitions, interactive experiences, talks, and workshops.  

One of the most influential musicians and composers of the past century, Riley's impact and influence on contemporary music and art cannot be overstated.  In 1964, his revolutionary composition, In C, launched the Minimalist movement in music and his influence  is still heard today in the work of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams and other classical composers.  His subsequent early works, A Rainbow in Curved Air and Poppy Nogood, with their kaleidoscopic, psychedelic atmospheres, sent waves across the musical worlds of the 1960s, strongly reflected in the music of The Who, Pink Floyd, and other rock bands of the time.  That influence continues today in the music of Radiohead and Animal Collective and Riley was recently selected by the London Times as one of the "1000 Makers of the 20th Century."

"It's a tremendous honor to have Terry Riley participate in our festival this year. It's a dream come true." says Big Ears founder, Ashley Capps, also a creator and producer of the renown Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.  

Riley himself will perform in several different concerts of his work during the weekend, with a variety of musicians.  Also, the Calder String Quartet will present a program of his work.  And a sure highlight of the weekend will come when many of the artists performing during the weekend join together for an unforgettable performance of In C, "one of the definitive masterpieces of the 20th Century."  

 Additions to the Big Ears lineup along with ticketing information will be released in early December.  

Listen to "A Rainbow In Curved Air":