Juilliard-trained, universally awesome. The 5 Browns play the Ellen Eccles Theatre

LOGAN, UT — The Cache Valley Center for the Arts presents THE 5 BROWNS on FEBRUARY 28 & MARCH 1, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ellen Eccles Theatre. Witness the musical virtuosity of The 5 Browns — Julliard-trained sibling superstars who have taken the piano world by storm with their inventive interpretations of classical standards. Let yourself get swept up in the excitement of this young passionate quintet as they take the stage and play a mix of classics and film scores with more energy and excitement than you’ve ever heard—or seen—before. This concert will feature works by renowned composers Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, and John Williams Greg Anderson, and Franz Liszt, among others. Whether they take on Psycho from the Herrmann/Hitchcock medley in a relentlessly driving, heavily dissonant piece that sets nerves on end or Dario Marianelli’s work in Atonement where the score excerpts open and close with the slow, sad music associated with the tragic love affair between an aristocratic Englishwoman and a commoner, The 5 Browns dazzle with their complex compositions.”Prodigies, siblings, and piano rocks stars, The 5 Browns are inspiring audiences everywhere,” said Wally Bloss, executive director for the Cache Valley Center for the Arts. “We are thrilled to fill the Ellen Eccles Theatre stage with 5 virtuosic piano players and their Steinways. This young and gifted group has mastered the pure collective sound of the piano.”The 5 Browns – Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae were born and raised in Utah and were piano players since early childhood. Playing came as naturally to them as eating or sleeping and as early as age 9 they had each made their debut with a major symphony orchestra. 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 before deciding upon New York’s Juilliard School. One year later when Gregory, Melody and Ryan were accepted to Juilliard, they became the first quintet of siblings to study simultaneously at the prestigious school. After their decision to join forces, the young piano virtuosos caught their first wave of critical attention in February 2002 when People magazine dubbed them the “Fab Five” and at about the same time they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes. Soon thereafter, the 5 Browns signed with SONY BMG Masterworks and their success grew with the 2005 release of their debut album on RCA Red Seal. Simply titled The 5 Browns, 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, the 5 Browns were one of the top classical artists of the year. In 2009 they signed an exclusive recording contract with El Music and produced their fourth album, taped a PBS television special at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, Utah, and published their book “Life Between The Keys.”The 5 Browns quickly took the classical world by storm with their hip personalities and fresh takes on classical standards – thus turning out three studio albums, Browns In Blue (2007), No Boundaries (2006), and The 5 Browns (2005) that all went to #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. The 5 Browns toured nationwide last spring alongside the release of their newest album IN HOLLYWOOD (2010), showcases their lifelong love of cinema. Inspired by some of Hollywood’s leading films and scores, THE 5 BROWNS IN HOLLYWOOD meshes the worlds of classical music and cinema with arrangements representing a diverse collection of world famous films that range from classics such as The Wizard of Oz, To Kill a Mockingbird and Psycho, to the more recent Atonement, The Hours, and Catch Me If You Can.In the music world they are an unprecedented concert attraction: a singular quintet of world-class concert pianists, performing on five pianos and various ensemble combinations, dedicated to bringing classical music to the lives of people everywhere. And they present the music true to themselves by focusing not only on the content, but through their presentation. For their clothing doesn’t influence how they hear music, nor how they perform it. To that end you won’t see the 5 Browns in tux, tails or formal gowns. Instead they take advantage of their two act concert to not only show their more “dressed up” side, but also their casual and “hip” side, as they can feel just as comfortable playing in concert dress or in jeans. Playing in schools and civic auditoriums, as well as at traditional concert venues, Utah’s 5 Browns became an all-American story with broadcast appearances on many television shows. They were just as likely to be seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The View, as Public Radio’s highly rated classical show, Performance Today. The quintet garnered extensive print coverage across the board–from The New York Times, to USA Weekend, from Billboard, to The Sunday London Telegraph, The LA Times 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.” Audiences in the UK, France and Germany, as well as Japan and Korea have also been dazzled by the 5 Browns who present themselves just as they really are: young adults with a modern look who love fashion, sports, computer games, dancing and all types of music – most of all, classical. And audiences, especially the kids, are enthralled when the five perform in concert. When the 5 Browns sit down to perform on their five Steinway grand pianos … their eyes lock … a silent signal passes between them. And in an instant they are transformed, from “regular” kids to musical dynamos. Flawless in precision and steeped in passion, they invariably stun critics and shatter the preconceptions of those who think classical music inscrutable or intimidating. Whether performing individually or together in various combinations from duo to complex five-piano arrangements, The 5 Browns reveal a deep connection to their material while bringing a fresh energy and presentation of the music to their audiences. Their goal is a simple one: to share their love of classical music with people everywhere—and especially younger audiences who have never been exposed to classical music. For more information about The 5 Browns, please visit www.The5Browns.comDon’t miss The 5 Browns when they come to the Ellen Eccles Theatre, February 28 & March 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this performance are $26-$38, with a wide variety of discounts for USU students, 50% off kids ages 5-18, & 15% of groups of 15 or more. No discounts will be available on days-of-show.Tickets for can be purchased online anytime without any additional fees at www.EllenEcclesTheatre.org or at the Cache Valley Center for the Arts Ticket Office in the Bullen Center at 43 South Main. For details call 435-752-0026 or visit www.scrapartsmusic.com. This tour of The 5 Browns is made possible through the performing arts season at the Cache Valley Center for the Arts and the generous support from this shows sponsors including: Conservice utility management & billing; Zions Bank; The Herald Journal; Utah Public Radio 89.5/91.5; University Inn & Conference Center. The 2010-2011 CVCA Season is made possible in part by funds from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation; Marie Eccles Caine Foundation – Russell Family; Cache County Restaurant/RAPZ Tax Funds, Logan City Cultural Arts Grant; Utah Division of Arts & Museums & the National Endowment for the Arts; and Wasatch Logan Arts Foundation.For more info about the Cache Valley Center for the Arts visit www.CacheArts.org. The Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and one hour prior to all show times.

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