PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Distribution

September 27, 2005

         Fort Bend Performing Arts Series Presents

                         THE 5 BROWNS

THE 5 BROWNS are 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 concert grand pianos, and in various ensemble combinations.

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.  The siblings’ teacher and chairwoman of the piano department at Juilliard, Yoheved Kaplinsky, has praised their talent and promise, not only for their extraordinary teamwork but also for their distinctive, evolving personalities as individual artists.

Keith and Lisa Brown’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 !

Collectively, THE 5 BROWNS have performed in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, Chicago’s Symphony Center, West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center and Houston’s Wortham Center. They also performed at the 2002 Winter Olympic Celebrations in Salt Lake City. In addition, they have been seen on major national television programs such as 60 Minutes, Oprah, Good Morning America and featured in high profile publications such as The New York Times, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times and The Sunday London Telegraph.

Fort Bend Performing Arts Series is pleased to present THE 5 BROWNS in concert on October 8, 2005 at 7:00 pm. The venue will be the new worship center of Williams Trace Baptist Church located at 16755 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, Texas. Tickets are $25 and all seats are reserved.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.fbpas.org or by calling Suzan Dortch at 281-275-6527.