NEW YORK (BMG Classics/ www.bmgclassics.com) - Young, beautiful, handsome, likeable, dazzlingly talented and passionate about the music they play, The 5 Browns - an American quintet of brothers and sisters who are all virtuoso concert pianists - make their recording debut on a new CD from RCA Red Seal/BMG Classics that features an array of classical favorites showcasing the talents of each member of the family.
The disc includes ear-bending new transcriptions of such works as Rimsky-Korsakov's The Flight of the Bumble Bee, Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice and music from Bernstein's West Side Story, as well as works that spotlight the talents of each pianist, individually and in combination. All the music for the album, including the ensembles, was memorized for the recording. The debut CD of The 5 Browns will be released February 8, 2005.
The recording will be released in the new DualDisc format, which combines audio and video content on a single disc - one side features the audio recording, the other side features DVD video. In addition to the full album on the CD side, the DVD side will feature two music videos of The 5 Browns in a filmed performance, playing Flight of the Bumble Bee and Scenes from West Side Story.
With one of the most appealing stories in music, The 5 Browns - Ryan, 19; Melody, 20; Gregory, 22; Deondra, 24 and Desirae 25 - became an international sensation with appearances on Oprah and 60 Minutes and in People, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Sunday London Telegraph while they were still attending New York's Juilliard School of Music, the first time five siblings have been students at the same time at the prestigious school. Earlier this year, they signed an exclusive contract to record for RCA Red Seal/BMG Classics.
Following the release of the recording, The 5 Browns will perform live on Good Morning America and featured again on 60 Minutes. They will be embarking on a U.S. concert tour in the Spring.
The new disc premieres spectacular five-piano transcriptions - created expressly for The 5 Browns - of Bernstein's "Scenes from West Side Story," Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee;" Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice; and Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt, Op. 23. The West Side Story transcription by Kendall Durelle Briggs, the other three by Jeffrey Shumway.
Desirae and Deondra Brown, who often perform as a duo-piano team, play Ravel's La Valse in its two-piano version. Gregory Brown is heard in two solo works - Rachmaninoff's "Elegie" from Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, and Bowen's Toccata, Op. 155.
Melody Brown performs Debussy's L'Isle joyeuse and Friedman's Tabatiere a musique (Musical Box), Op. 33, No. 3. Ryan Brown is also heard in a pair of solo works - Prokofiev's Sonata No. 3, Op. 28 and the fourth of Rachmaninoff's Moments Musicaux, Op. 16.
The drive and ambition of The 5 Browns is equaled only by their mutual love and affection. Their dedication to music has already resulted in remarkable artistic achievements. The siblings' teachers at Juilliard praise their talent and promise, not only for their extraordinary teamwork but also for their distinctive, evolving personalities as individual artists - "...Desirae and Deondra are a fabulous team; they play like they read each other's minds. Gregory is a real bravura-type performer. Melody is sweet and easygoing, and it comes through in her playing. And Ryan is a storyteller and has a great imagination."
Having devoted most of their young lives to classical music, The 5 Browns are reaching their artistic maturity just as seismic changes have begun to rewrite the rules in the classical recording industry. Their serious dedication combines with their infectious energy to offer the listener a new way to perceive classical music. Deondra, Melody, Desirae, Ryan and Gregory, 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 5 Browns passionately believe ... that classical music can be interesting and cool!
RCA Red Seal is a label of BMG Classics. For e-mail updates and information regarding RCA Red Seal artists, promotions, tours and repertoire, please visit https://www.bmgclassics.com .
Contact:
Doreen D'Agostino
Director of Publicity
RCA/BMG Classics
[email protected]
