WHO WE ARE
THE MISSION OF BIG EARS—AN INDEPENDENT 501(C)3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION—IS TO COLLABORATE WITH ARTISTS, AUDIENCES, AND COMMUNITIES TO CREATE JOYFUL, MEANINGFUL, AND TRANSCENDENT CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THAT DEFY BOUNDARIES, FUEL CURIOSITY, IGNITE THE SPIRIT, AND NOURISH THE SOUL.
Big Ears presents extraordinary performances and arts experiences to connect more than 40,000 locals and visitors of all ages throughout the Knoxville community each year.
Founded in 2009, the Big Ears Festival is the flagship event of our organization. It explores the influences that inspire and connect musicians and artists, crossing the boundaries of musical genres as well as artistic disciplines. Every spring, Big Ears presents nearly 250 concerts, talks, workshops, film screenings, residencies, and more in over two dozen venues across downtown Knoxville. With a program budget of $3.5 million and a local annual economic impact of $68.9 million, the Big Ears Festival is one of the highest-profile arts events in the Southeastern U.S., garnering regular national media coverage, hosting numerous world premiere performances, and helping to define the cultural character of the region for many across the country.
As a free-standing nonprofit with a dedicated staff and mission, Big Ears’ activities have grown beyond the festival to include expanded community engagement programming and cultural events beyond the confines of the festival. These programs enable us to better reach underserved groups and lower barriers to their participation in the arts.
The impact areas on which we focus our work are:
• Arts Presenting: We are committed to sustaining world-class cultural events in Knoxville that provide innovative, enriching, and transformative experiences for all, while maintaining a unique curatorial vision.
• Arts Access: We strive to ignite curiosity in the hearts of our community, lowering barriers to groundbreaking creative experiences that foster deep listening and community connection.
Big Ears receives substantial investment from donors and sponsors in the Knoxville community, as well as from private foundations, government agencies, and dedicated supporters across the country for whom the festival has become an annual pilgrimage. Explore our list of generous partners or join the ranks of our supporters.
STAFF
ASHLEY CAPPS // EXECUTIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Ashley Capps is one of the foremost concert promoters and festival producers in the United States. He began promoting concerts in 1979 while finishing his major at the University of Tennessee. In 1991, Capps founded AC Entertainment, which began promoting concerts in the southeast and would eventually go on to found the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and other signature events throughout the United States. In 2009, Capps launched the multi-faceted, genre-defying Big Ears Festival, which takes place every spring in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. Big Ears became a 501(c)3 in 2016, and Capps currently serves as both its Executive and Artistic Director.
BRYAN CROW // FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
Bryan Crow has over a decade of experience in the live music and event industry and has worked in various capacities for Big Ears since 2014. Before joining the Big Ears team full-time in 2021, Crow worked for concert and festival promoters AC Entertainment and Live Nation, where he served as Project Manager and Executive Assistant to founder and president, Ashley Capps. During his tenure at AC / Live Nation, Crow produced the 2018 MusicNOW Festival and assisted in production and operations of events such as Bonnaroo, Forecastle, and High Water festivals.
MORGAN FLEMING // ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Morgan Fleming brings nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit arts to Big Ears. She previously served as Data Coordinator for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, where she led box office operations, ticketing transitions, and community engagement efforts. With a background in dance and choreography, she has supported organizations like Circle Modern Dance and the Tennessee Association of Dance through both staff and board roles. Her passion for the performing arts was shaped by early internships with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and the American Dance Festival. A certified Pilates instructor, she also teaches group and private sessions across Knoxville.
SARA HOUCHINS // DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY RELATIONS
A Knoxville native, Sara Houchins spent over a decade in New York City, working in fashion retail and running her own candy store, before moving to Mexico City and opening a restaurant. She returned home in 2023, working with Dewhirst Properties and later leading guest experience and new initiatives at Clayton Homes’ corporate retreat center. Known for her creativity, adaptability, and keen eye for detail, Sara now brings that energy to Big Ears as we deepen community partnerships—both locally and nationally—and pursue new opportunities for growth and collaboration.
LILY KEBER // FILM PROGRAM CURATOR
Lily is a filmmaker and educator based in New Orleans. Her debut feature, Bayou Maharajah, premiered at SXSW in 2013 and received multiple honors, including the Oxford American Award for Best Southern Film. She co-founded New Orleans Video Voices, a women-led collective promoting media literacy across the Gulf South. In 2015, she was commissioned by Time Inc. to produce Everything Is To Be Continued, a film highlighting the exclusion of Black working musicians from post-Katrina recovery. Her second feature, Buckjumping, premiered in 2018 to the largest audience in New Orleans Film Festival history.
CECILIA STAIR // COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Cecilia is a board-certified music therapist and cellist with degrees from the University of Tennessee (BA, Music) and the University of Kentucky (MM, Music Therapy). Her clinical work supports individuals with Parkinson’s, dementia, and those in recovery from substance use disorders. She has taught at the Central Music Academy and Knoxville’s Community School for the Arts. As a performer, she’s recorded and toured with the Lonetones, Tyler Childers, Senora May, and others, and has appeared at Big Ears with RB Morris, William Tyler, and Peter Gregson. Involved with the festival since 2009, Cecilia is passionate about access, expression, and connection through the arts.
BIG EARS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mark Grayson, Chair
Tommie Rush, Vice-Chair
Anthony B. Creamer III, Treasurer
Chuck Parrish, Secretary
Chris Ballou
Ashley Capps
Janet Cowperthwaite
Amy Elias
Dr. Sally C. Johnson
Jeanette Kelleher
Jamie Lewis
Steven Matijcio
Cynthia Moxley
Brian Phillips
Alex Rigopulos
Greg Tardy
John T. Winemiller
