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來自同一個家庭的「布朗五兄妹」來歷可不簡單，個個身手不凡，光是他們先後以優異成績畢業於美國知名的「茱利亞」音樂學院，就足以列入該校校史與金式世界紀錄。他們清新脫俗的氣質、認真的談吐與超技的鋼琴演奏，不由得讓人對美國的古典音樂界豎起大姆指稱讚連連！
「布朗五兄妹」分別是大姐Desirae（已婚）、二姐Deondra（已婚）、三哥Gregory、四妹Melody、五弟Ryan，母親在他們3歲的時候，就不約而同的發掘了他們鋼琴造詣上所展現的音樂天份，於是大夥兒就開始了每天練琴七個半小時的童年生活。1995年，他們以「青幼年」的組合，參加了以偉大的鋼琴教授Gina Bachauer為名的首屆國際五人組鋼琴大賽，在眾多成年人中贏得第二名與「最受觀眾歡迎」兩項大獎，「布朗五兄妹」從此受到激勵，每個家庭成員都以成為傑出的鋼琴獨奏家為前提，而且每個人都領獎學金，進入「茱利亞」音樂學院成為高材生。
「布朗五兄妹」累積多年來合奏鋼琴的默契，其實有一個心願不斷地在支持著：希望時下的年輕人與成人可以親近與多聽古典音樂，同時古典音樂其實可以是一種很酷、很時髦而且有趣的一種音樂。所以他們一直花心思在編曲與彈奏上，以求趣味與娛樂性，由跨界音樂出發是必然之路，但是他們可不是時下那些重看不重用，或是演奏中含糊帶過樂句的樂手。「布朗五兄妹」扎實的正規古典音樂訓練、巧妙的樂思，以五架鋼琴、50根手指頭，讓鋼琴這「音樂之母」變成一個小型的管弦樂團、展現它無所不能征服的力量，把各式各樣的曲子完全吃下，綻放出最璀璨美麗的旋律與風貌。 |
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THE 5 BROWNS are ready to play. Handsome, charming, articulate and close-knit, this youthful quintet of brothers and sisters, all virtuosic concert pianists, love classical music so profoundly they want to share it with everyone else. Each of the Browns – Desirae (25), Deondra (24), Gregory (22), Melody (20) and Ryan (19) – has a distinctive and discriminating keyboard talent, honed at New York’s Juilliard School, where for five consecutive years they studied simultaneously. They have chosen to cast their lot together as a unique quintet of classical pianists, performing on five pianos, and in various ensemble combinations.
Their first album is available February 8, 2005 from RCA Red Seal.
In Spring 2004, THE 5 BROWNS made their official concert debut as an ensemble in Houston, where all five were born. In addition to orchestral selections that have been arranged for five pianos, each of the siblings performs solo or duo works. Desirae and Deondra have devoted themselves to a unique partnership as duo pianists. Critics have stated, “the dynamic duo” “exhibit an understanding that verges on telepathy” “wrought with alluring seductiveness” and “left their listeners’ jaws on the floor.” Gregory is a “real bravura type performer” with dynamic personality and technique. Critics say he is “ready for primetime” as he “whipped the audience into a polite frenzy,” Melody’s playing is “elegant” and “the most expressive” critics say, as “she presented a plethora of imaginative colorations,” and Ryan is an “imaginative storyteller” who “exploited his fluid fingers and instinctive sense of drama.”
What makes THE 5 BROWNS even more remarkable is the utter lack of show-biz calculation in the story of their still-developing musical lives. They are the sons and daughters of a down-to-earth Utah couple, Keith and Lisa Brown, who raised their family in the devoted spirit of their Mormon faith. Lisa, classically trained to sing opera, decided early on that she wanted her children to have music in their lives. The piano was an obvious place to begin.
“Then,” as Keith says simply, “their music took on a life of its own.” As the brothers and sisters became old enough to take piano lessons – around age 3 – each showed a clear talent and interest. Not only were they gifted, they enjoyed what they were doing. “I think Desirae, the oldest, was in school, about 6 years old, when she realized that not everybody in the world plays the piano,” Keith says. “She just thought it was a part of life, like eating or sleeping.”
Keith and Lisa’s only desire was for their children to be happy, healthy and rewarded with the pleasures of music. Neither of them had any plan to raise a quintet of serious piano virtuosos, but unlike many parents, they did not see their talented children lose interest in the piano when they hit adolescence. Quite the opposite, in fact, and to such a degree that Lisa felt compelled to devote herself to managing their schedule – a full-time job of getting them to and from lessons, and sitting with them at the bench for their three-hour practice each day until about age 11. The hard work paid off. Each of the children, as early as age 9, made their debut with major symphony orchestras.
When Desirae began to plan for college - Deondra, a year younger, decided to accelerate her education in order to attend with her sister – the family began looking into music schools and scholarships. The overwhelming response included full scholarship offers from the finest music schools and conservatories in the nation. New York’s Juilliard School became their choice. One year later when Gregory, Melody and Ryan were accepted to Juilliard as well, the entire Brown family, along with their five pianos, moved from Utah to New York.
How THE 5 BROWNS came to be headline grabbing recording artists is a story in itself. Multi-platinum record producer Joel Diamond, now their manager and executive producer, discovered Ryan first, when he happened to catch a PBS documentary about a piano competition in which Ryan was playing. Diamond had nothing but a name to go on, so he began calling all the Browns in Utah until he found the family. He then learned that there were four more brilliant young pianists at home. He immediately saw the possibilities in presenting all five siblings together. The young Browns themselves had powerful ideas about how they wanted their careers to unfold. Happily, Diamond’s commercial instincts and the Browns’ aesthetic ambitions were a perfect fit, and a partnership was born.
Having devoted most of their lives to classical music, Desirae, Deondra, Gregory, Melody, and Ryan arrived at young adulthood – and the threshold of professional careers – with the challenging realization that the classical audience was only shrinking and getting older. Just as seismic changes began to rewrite the rules in the classical recording industry, they decided they would make a bold, positive statement. They would mobilize their talent, their taste and their infectious energy to change the very way classical music is perceived today. With determination to increase its popularity, they want to reach out to a new generation – their generation – one that has been fed on commercial pop and has yet to discover what the Browns know… that Classical music can be cool !
The 5 Browns have done their homework. And they are ready to play. |
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