The 5 Browns

The 5 Browns Biography

The 5 Browns are delivering on their dream to wake up classical music by introducing it to the widest, largest and most excited audience they can find. Whether performing individually or together in various combinations from duo to complex five-piano arrangements, The 5 Browns reveal a deep connection to the intent of their material while bringing a fresh energy and dynamic character to the color and tonal spectrum of their sound. Through innovative concerts and arrangements, the 5 Browns made an immediate impact in the classical world and beyond. Coined the "Fab Five" by People magazine in 2002, the 5 Browns have performed for enthusiastic audiences around the world and have released 8 very popular albums. The Browns -- Desirae (1979), Deondra (1980), Gregory (1982), Melody (1984), and Ryan (1986) -- were all born in Houston, Texas, and, with their mother Lisa's encouragement, each began piano lessons at age three with Yelena Kurinets. After moving to Utah in 1991, the Browns took lessons with Irene Peery-Fox. In 2001, the siblings became the first family of five ever accepted to the Juilliard School of Music at the same time. The 5 Browns ensemble was formed in 2002 and was an instant sensation. In 2002, the group was profiled in People magazine and appeared on the television shows Oprah and 60 Minutes. Since its inception, the group has performed and recorded in various combinations from solo piano to five pianos. The 5 Browns signed with RCA Red Seal in 2004 and released its self-titled first album in 2005, which was a hit, spending eight weeks at the top of the Billboard classical chart. The ensemble began touring following this release, and have since appeared across the U.S. and Asia, including performances in Beijing, Tokyo, Moscow, and Taiwan. The siblings published the book Life Between the Keys together in 2009. The 5 Browns commissioned a new concerto for five pianos by Nico Muhly, Edge of the World, which was premiered in 2011 at Chicago's Ravinia Festival, with James Conlon conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The 5 Browns continued recording for RCA Red Seal (which was incorporated into Sony/BMG Masterworks) until 2008, releasing a total of five albums that were all commercial successes; No Boundaries (2006) and Browns in Blue (2007) both took the 5 Browns back to the top of the Billboard classical chart. In 2010, the group moved to the E1 label for The 5 Browns in Hollywood. The group was featured in a 2012 PBS special, "The 5 Browns in Concert." After signing with Steinway & Sons, the group has released two albums: a live recording of an arrangement of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in 2013 and Christmas with the 5 Browns in 2019. In 2011, Desirae and Deondra formed a nonprofit organization, The Foundation for Survivors of Sexual Abuse, to advocate for victims' rights, following revelations of their father's sexual abuse of the three sisters, and his conviction for the crimes. The Browns were the subject of a 2018 documentary, The 5 Browns: Digging Through the Darkness, about the abuse and overcoming the family's tragedy. The group released their debut album, The 5 Browns, in 2005. The New York Post proclaimed, “One family, five pianos, and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years… When these kids do Rachmaninoff, they’ll make you forget about Marshall amps.” By the end of 2005, they were among America's top classical recording artists. From 2004 to 2008, The Five Browns were signed with the RCA Red Seal label (later folded into Sony BMG Masterworks), but for their 2010 release, The 5 Browns In Hollywood, they signed with E1 Music. The quintet has released three CDs that each went to #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. They are managed by IMG artists and are exclusive Steinway Artists. Their concerts have widely received critical acclaim. The five brothers and sisters present a spirited classical performance—the exuberance of youth, coupled with 5 maestros performing on five pianos with various ensemble combinations. They have garnered extensive coverage from media outlets ranging from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, Today, and The View to The Martha Stewart Show, Public Radio’s Performance Today, as well as The New York Times, Parade, People, the Los Angeles Times, the Sunday London Telegraph and Entertainment Weekly who called them "…five young Mormons who all play scorching piano. Thundering down on five Steinways together, they’re button-down cute and somewhat otherworldly." The Dallas Morning News said, "Send them out to schools from shore to shore, with piano teachers on hand to sign up students afterward, and the future of classical music will look a lot brighter … THE 5 BROWNS proved that classical music can reach teens and twenty-somethings on their own ground, but without posturing or cheapening the product." The 5 Browns have instigated somewhat of a classical music revival—"nearly a third of their audience has seldom if ever, attended a concert of classical music, while another third is college-age or younger." The 5 Browns tour extensively and have performed in numerous venues including the Grand National Theater in China, Suntory Hall in Japan and, in the United States, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Symphony Hall in Chicago and Alice Tully Hall in New York City. Individually and collaboratively, they have soloed with orchestras around the world, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris. In 2009, they performed as part of the New York Mercedes-Benz Fashion week. Designer Zac Posen placed five pianos in a line down the middle of the runway and the 5 Browns played complex five-piano arrangements. That year, in March 2009, their book, Life Between the Keys, a lighthearted collection of personal stories, was published by Phoenix Books. The group was also featured in a PBS TV special, "The 5 Browns in Concert" which aired on PBS stations throughout the country. The 5 Browns commissioned and performed a five-piano concerto, The Edge of the World by Nico Muhly, at the Ravinia Festival. The piece premiered in 2011 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro James Conlon. In October 2013, they made their Carnegie Hall debut and released their sixth album, The Rite of Spring: Live at the Arthur Zankel Music Center.” They were also part of Oprah Winfrey’s season 2 series “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) and CNN’s Piers Morgan Live. The 5 Browns are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The 2017/18 season will include the release of their 7th album with Grammy award winning producer Adam Abeshouse, which in addition to musical favorites from their childhood will also feature an illustrated book authored by NY Times best seller Liesl Shurtliff. The Virginian-Pilot has acclaimed, "Before seeing them in action, one had to wonder about the appeal of this quintet of Juilliard-trained siblings. Most classical pianists can’t draw anything near the audience this group gets on its national and international tours…All was neatly executed, perhaps the family bond explaining the remarkable precision…In between the big works, solo pieces demonstrated high levels of technical and interpretive skill. Of even more interest were duets that put together different sibling combinations in rarely heard repertoire….The family could not have become such a sensation without music-making like this. Albums The 5 Browns 02/08/2005 No Boundaries 04/04/2006 Browns in Blue 10/07/2007 Five Stars 09/30/2008 The 5 Browns in Hollywood. 04/06/2010 The Rite of Spring 10/29/2013 Christmas with The 5 Browns 11/01/2019 Little Tin Box 11/06/2020