KNOXVILLE BROADCAST
KNOXVILLE BROADCAST
OCTOBER 17 & 18, 2025
WORLD’S FAIR PARK
Knoxville Broadcast is a massive, site-specific “spatial symphony” composed by Lisa Bielawa and produced by Big Ears. Performances will take place October 17th and 18th this fall at the iconic World’s Fair Park. The performance will bring together hundreds of Knoxville area musicians representing all ages and diverse musical backgrounds. Previously, Bielawa has created customized versions of the work in Berlin, San Francisco, and Louisville. These events blur the lines between concert performance, civic engagement, and community ritual, drawing on the architecture, history, and social fabric of the places in which they are performed. Knoxville will be the fourth Broadcast city– a continuation of its impressive legacy–but will be an entirely custom-made celebration of this area’s musical culture and urban architecture.
Knoxville Broadcast will be free to the public, and will not involve electrical equipment, seating or ticketing. All musicians will play acoustically, without amplification. The large scale of the performance with its hundreds of musicians, along with the architectural features of the space like water and concrete, will naturally amplify the sound and transform the energy of the space. During the course of the performance, ensembles will move as units and disperse through the space in various directions at planned times. This dispersal allows those who are witnessing the performance to make choices about whom to follow, and ultimately how they choose to experience the piece. The music will be composed to form different sonic relationships between the groups as they approach, transect, or retreat from one another.
Knoxville Broadcast is an opportunity to build community through music-making, to celebrate and connect the wonderful and diverse community music groups in the Knoxville area, and to provide a unique, interactive music experience to the Knoxville community.
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Lisa Bielawa is an award-winning composer, producer, and vocalist. A Guggenheim Fellow and Rome Prize winner, Bielawa has received honors from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, OPERA America, and American Antiquarian Society, and was nominated for a Los Angeles Area Emmy for her unprecedented, made-for-TV-and-online opera Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch’s Accuser.
Bielawa’s music has been premiered and presented worldwide by the NY PHIL BIENNIAL, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Rouen Opera, MAXXI Museum in Rome, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Radio France, Yerevan Concert Hall, Venice Architectural Biennale, American Music Week in Salzburg, INFANT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, and more.
From 2019–2022, Bielawa was the founding Composer-in-Residence and Chief Curator of the Philip Glass Institute (PGI) at The New School’s College of the Performing Arts. In addition to performing as the vocalist in the Philip Glass Ensemble, Bielawa appears frequently in her own works and in music by composers such as John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, and Michael Gordon. She recently made her orchestral conducting debut leading the Mannes String Orchestra in a special PGI presentation featuring her music, works by Jon Gibson and David T. Little, and Glass’s Symphony No. 3.
Composer Lisa Bielawa // Tempelhof Broadcast (Photo by Daniel Clark)
The Town Criers Community Choir // Louisville Broadcast
Waterfront Park Big Four Bridge // Louisville Broadcast
Musicians on the grounds of Crissy Field – San Francisco // Crissy Broadcast (Photo by James Block)
KNOXVILLE BROADCAST FAQ
WHEN AND WHERE WILL KNOXVILLE BROADCAST TAKE PLACE?
October 17 at 6:00pm* ET
October 18 at 11:00am* ET and 2:00pm* ET
All performances will take place at Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park (963 Worlds Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37902). Each performance will last approximately 45-60 minutes.
*Times subject to change.
HOW DO I ATTEND?
Just show up! Knoxville Broadcast is a completely free, unticketed event. Come for any (or all!) of the scheduled performance times. The performance will begin under the Tennessee Amphitheater and groups of performers will move throughout the park at planned moments. Audience members are welcome to explore and move freely throughout the park to experience the performance.
CAN MY ENSEMBLE PARTICIPATE?
Some ensembles have already committed to perform, but there may still be opportunities to get involved. If your group is interested in participating, please contact us by emailing knoxbroadcast@bigearsfestival.org.
I’M NOT IN A GROUP, BUT LOVE MUSIC. CAN I PARTICIPATE?
Absolutely! You or your child can join one of our three open community groups—no experience required for most. For more information about participating, PLEASE CLICK HERE, FILL OUT THE FORM, and we will be in touch with more details. Community ensembles include:
• Sunsphere Singers – A multigenerational choir; no experience or music reading required.
• The Sterchi String Band, led by Evie Andrus – A massive gathering of traditional string bands and old-time musicians.
• Community Percussion Ensemble, led by Nate Barrett – Drums and instruments provided; all ages welcome!
HOW CAN MY WORDS BECOME PART OF THE PERFORMANCE?
We want your voice in the composition! Share your thoughts by responding to a series of prompts—your words may be incorporated into the music sung by our performers. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR WORDS!
I’M A PERFORMER. WHEN DO I ARRIVE AND WHERE DO I GO?
Performers should arrive 30–60 minutes before showtime. Check-in will be at the Knoxville Convention Center on the 200 Level accessed via the western terrace overlooking World’s Fair Park. Inside, performers will find designated rooms to store instrument cases and prepare for the performance.
MY CHILD IS PERFORMING. CAN I ACCOMPANY THEM?
Yes! While we’ll take steps to ensure a safe environment for all participants, we strongly encourage parents and guardians to accompany young children before, during, and after the performance. Caregivers offering physical or other assistance are also welcome to accompany performers.
WHERE DO I PARK?
There are several nearby parking options, including the Locust Street Garage and the surface lot adjacent to the Knoxville Museum of Art. Street parking is also available around World’s Fair Park. For a map of parking locations, please visit https://www.downtownknoxville.org/explore/parking/
In addition, World’s Fair Park is served by Knoxville Area Transportation’s Bus Route #42. More info can be found here: https://katbus.com/schedules-maps/route-42/
IS THE PERFORMANCE ADA ACCESSIBLE?
Yes. All performance and backstage areas in World’s Fair Park are wheelchair accessible. For information about accessible parking or other accessibility needs, please contact us directly at knoxbroadcast@bigearsfestival.org.
WILL FOOD AND DRINK BE AVAILABLE?
You’re welcome to bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages and enjoy them in the park. We’ll also offer paid lunch options onsite.
CAN I VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST WITH THE EVENT?
Yes! Volunteers are essential to this community effort. If you’re interested, please email us at volunteers@bigearsfestival.org with “Broadcast Volunteer” in the subject line.
CAN I TAKE PHOTOS OR VIDEOS?
Yes! We welcome photo and video documentation. If posting to social media, use the hashtag #KnoxvilleBroadcast and tag Big Ears (@bigearsfestival) and Lisa Bielawa (@lisabielawa).
HOW CAN I SUPPORT KNOXVILLE BROADCAST?
Knoxville Broadcast is made possible through community support. If your business is interested in sponsorship opportunities, we’d love to connect. Email sponsorship@bigearsfestival.org for more information.
Individual donations also make a big difference, helping cover artist fees, venue rentals, ensemble stipends, and more. You can make a donation to Big Ears at bigearsfestival.org/donate.
CAN’T FIND AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION?
Email us at knoxbroadcast@bigearsfestival.org and we’ll get back to you!
Still have questions? Contact Us
All the boundaries we take for granted in musical life are casually obliterated in composer Lisa Bielawa’s magical and heartbreakingly beautiful exercise in public art.
– San Francisco Chronicle