Big Ears: Conversations About Music brings together visionary musicians, journalists, and community leaders to explore creativity, collaboration, and the transformative power of sound. Now in its second season, the podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the ideas and connections that make Big Ears one of the world’s most adventurous festivals.
This special episode spotlights Knoxville Broadcast, a once-in-a-lifetime project filling World’s Fair Park with music on October 17–18. Composer Lisa Bielawa—renowned for her expansive site-specific works—joins music critic Steve Smith to trace the history and impact of her Broadcast project, which has united communities through music from it’s origins in Berlin to San Francisco and Louisville. Now, it arrives in Knoxville with hundreds of local musicians ready to bring it to life.
Bielawa also reflects on her commitment to community participation and her wide-ranging career—from touring as a vocalist with the Philip Glass Ensemble and premiering the works of John Zorn, Anthony Braxton and so many others, to developing a singular voice that bridges traditions and reimagines hierarchies in music.
Don’t miss this inside look at one of the most ambitious Big Ears programs ever staged beyond the festival—then come experience it yourself:
Knoxville Broadcast
Friday, Oct. 17 at 6:00pm + Saturday, Oct. 18 at 11:00am & 2:00pm
World’s Fair Park, Tennessee Amphitheater
Free and open to all
