BE 2026

Wild Up

Wild Up is a GRAMMY-nominated collective of fearless musicians who believe no music is off limits. Founded by Artistic Director Christopher Rountree, the ensemble has redefined what a classical group can be—blurring boundaries between concert hall and club, tradition and experimentation, performance art and pop culture. The New York Times praised them as “a raucous, grungy, irresistibly exuberant… fun-loving, exceptionally virtuosic family.”

Over the past decade, Wild Up has premiered hundreds of new works and collaborated with icons from Björk to Julia Holter, Juliana Barwick, and Scott Walker. Their projects have ranged from staging Ragnar Kjartansson’s 12-hour epic Bliss to championing the music of Julius Eastman, from scoring films live to leading immersive experiences like their solstice series darkness sounding. With residencies at institutions including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Sawdust, and the Hammer Museum, Wild Up continues to push the limits of how, where, and why classical music can matter today.

WILD UP

BIG EARS
03.26_03.29.26
Knoxville, TN · USA

Festival

Learn more about what The New York Times calls “one of the world’s greatest music bashes.”

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Beyond

Explore ideas, concerts, and collaborations that take Big Ears beyond the festival stage.