Sibling Piano Prodigies Give ‘Five’-Star Performance

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    By Michelle Garrett

    Tickets to their concert sold out the second day they went on sale; their albums top the nation”s classical music charts; they”ve all attended Juilliard-and they like to play video games and go shopping.

    The 5 Browns performed in the de Jong Concert Hall this Wednesday for a sold out audience so thrilled by the show they demanded two encores. Following the performance, a line wrapped around the room as fans waited for an hour to be able to meet the performers.

    The five siblings are all in their 20s and have 6 1/2 years between them. They were the first five siblings to attend the Juilliard School of Music simultaneously, according to the program. Each Brown began learning piano at age 3 and, as Gregory Brown told the audience, were practicing two hours a day by the time they were nine.

    The Browns have connections to BYU-their life-long piano teacher, Irene Peery-Fox, teaches at BYU and Jeffrey Shumway, also School of Music faculty, has arranged many pieces for them.

    “It honestly feels like coming to our hometown crowd,” Desirae Brown said. “We get to see our family and friends and sleep in our own bed.”

    A third of the Browns” audience is college-age or younger, and another third have rarely attended classical concerts, according to the program. Their program consisted of popular, accessible classical music, interspersed with colloquial commentary by each of the Browns explaining the stories and meanings behind each piece performed.

    Jeff Martin, who programs the BYU Performing Arts Series, described the 5 Browns as easy going and laid back. Martin said their performances are very relaxed because one of their goals is to bring classical music to the widest audience possible.

    “We want to be spreading something good in the world and inspiring something,” Desirae Brown said. “So much popular literature these days brings people down.”

    Desirae Brown said it”s always great to have children come up to them after their shows and say they”ve decided not to give up on their piano lessons because of the Browns.

    Melody Brown said that it is great to travel the world with her best friends, but that they also have to be careful not to get on each other”s nerves.

    “We know each other so well we can push each other”s buttons all day,” she said. “We”ve learned that kindness is the key.”

    The Browns had a question and answer session with the audience as well. One of the audience members asked if the Browns have a contract to keep them performing together.

    “Not that I know of,” Gregory Brown said. “It”s our love as siblings that keeps us together. We”ve grown up together … we don”t need a contract.”

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