If we have learned anything from the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on civilization, it is to take nothing about our lives and daily activities for granted. As the deadly seriousness of the pandemic became apparent, public gatherings became impossible—and so did live performances of theatre and music, affecting the livelihoods of those whose lives intersect with the arts. As weeks turned to months, and months to more than a year without public performances, many in the know feared that a loss of inertia in the arts would make recovery, when and if it came, difficult.
The understandable eagerness to return the performance scene to some kind of normal was visibly apparent yesterday as Big Ears announced the return of the festival to Knoxville March 24-27, 2022, with a mind-blowingly adventurous lineup that had music writers and media sites wild-eyed with a barely veiled anticipation. And who could blame them? The fact that the performance world, including both iconic performers and cutting edge creators, had generally survived was cause for instant and continued celebration.
While the Big Ears audience, and its appeal, is wildly international, the importance of the festival’s deliberate connections and intersections with Knoxville and Knoxville’s artists is something that should not be underestimated. For example, TAMIS’s Eric Dawson posted on FaceBook: “Very excited to be part of Big Ears 2022, with the premiere of Electric Appalachia, a film assembled from TAMIS footage with a live score by Mary Lattimore and William Tyler.” Similarly, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra posted: “We are thrilled to perform with Shabaka Hutchings at Big Ears Festival in March 2022! We have some exciting repertoire lined up – stay tuned for more details!”
While Pulitzer winning composer Ellen Reid has moved on from her Oak Ridge roots, her current involvement with Big Ears extends beyond her current installation, Soundwalk, at Ijams Nature Center. Reid will be presenting the “live” premiere of her Soundwalk Ensemble.
Weekend festival passes for Big Ears will be available beginning Thursday, September 16, at 12:00 noon ET. For information and ticketing, go to bigearsfestival.org.
