Catch the rising stars - Rising Stars - at Music Teachers National Association Conference - Calendar

American Music Teacher, Feb-March, 2003 by Ann Milliman Gipson

For the second consecutive year, MTNA will showcase young artists in one of its conference concerts. These artists are the result of dedication, hard work and fine teaching, Ann Milliman Gipson introduces Juilliard's Five Browns, pianists, and Neal Boyd, lyric tenor.

Juilliard's Five Browns

Many piano students dream of studying at the Juilliard School, and although many talented pianists practice with diligence and determination, only a few students are accepted into the prestigious school each year. It is no wonder that when all five Brown siblings of Alpine, Utah, were accepted to study at Juilliard, the family became an instant phenomenon and are quickly becoming a familiar name throughout the country.

Although Keith and Lisa Brown did not set out to raise five concert pianists, they did want to give their children a background in music and expose them to the joy of music through the piano. The added benefits of developing concentration and the ability to stick with something were important factors when the children were young. They had no idea that all five children would be drawn to the piano as a musical vehicle for expression. Even when given the opportunity to learn the violin, flute and guitar, all five children instead chose to continue piano study.

All the Brown siblings began their formal piano training at age 3 in Houston, Texas, under Russian immigrant and Moscow Conservatory piano professor Yelena Kurinets. When the family moved to Utah in 1991, their piano studies continued with Irene Peery. In 1997, at Keith's encouragement, eighteen-year-old Desirae and seventeen-year-old Deondra auditioned at Juilliard along with five other conservatories, hoping one school would accept the two girls together. To the family's astonishment, all six schools offered both girls large scholarships. Desirae and Deondra, now twenty-three and twenty-two years old respectively, are on scholarship in Juilliard's master's program and have studied under Yoheved Kaplinsky since 1997. As a sister duo, they began playing at the young ages of 5 and 4 and now study with Juilliard faculty ensemble specialists Jonathan Feldman and Margo Garrett. In 1998, when Gregory, Melody and Ryan joined their sisters at Juilliard, the entire family, along with their five grand pianos, moved to New York City. Gregory, 19, and Melody, now 18, also study with Kaplinsky on scholarship. Although the family moved back to Utah a year and half ago, Ryan, 16, continues to study with Kaplinsky in the Juilliard pre-college division, flying from Utah to New York City every Friday night to attend his Juilliard classes on Saturday.

With four siblings attending Juilliard's college division simultaneously, this unique feature in the school's prestigious history caught the interest of both the New York Times and The London Sunday Telegraph, which ran feature stories about the family. Since that time, the media exposure and performance opportunities have been numerous. The family's story was featured on 60 Minutes II, which first aired October 31, 2001. The family allowed 60 Minutes to tape their home and school life with performances over a five-month period. CBS re-aired the original 60 Minutes II program December 26, 2001, and again for a third time in July 2002. People Magazine featured an interview and photographs of the Brown family in an article published February 18, 2002, to correspond with the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. On February 22, 2002, at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, the Brown family performed in concert as part of the 2002 Winter Olympic Special Events. The day before the concert, the siblings were featured in a televised segment on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

All the Brown siblings have soloed with various symphonies, and collectively, the Brown children have had thirteen solo appearances with the Utah Symphony. Most recently, all five siblings appeared in concert with the Chicago Sinfonietta. Desirae and Deondra performed Poulenc's Duo Piano Concerto, previously performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra on Valentine's Day 2001, and Gregory, Melody and Ryan performed the Mozart Triple Concerto.

The musical success enjoyed by the Brown siblings is evidence to the years of practice and dedicated piano study but also serves as a tribute to parents Keith and Lisa for providing emotional, musical and financial support. While the financial burdens have at times been great, dad Keith has no regrets about the sacrifices that have been made to benefit the piano study of his children. One of the most significant expenses any musician incurs is the purchase of an instrument. With five children studying piano, the need for more pianos also grew over time, and five grand pianos became a part of the Brown home.

The children's mother, Lisa, an accomplished lyric soprano with a degree in vocal music, provided a musically nurturing environment for the siblings to study piano. In fact, after observing piano lessons, Lisa would sit with each child for about an hour and a half, totaling seven to eight hours per day, helping them to understand, practice and prepare for their weekly lessons. This unique aspect of the siblings' musical study no doubt played a significant factor in their rapid progress.