The 5 Browns Perform For Factory Audience
On October 2, 2015, The 5 Browns visited the historic Steinway & Sons factory in Astoria, New York, to perform as part of Steinway’s “Live from the Factory Floor” concert series. This unique performance program brings together Steinway Artists and the more than 350 talented craftspeople who build the world’s best pianos. The 5 Browns—Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra, and Desirae—are a riveting classical piano quintet and are the first family of five siblings ever accepted simultaneously to New York’s Juilliard School.
During the October recital, The 5 Browns played their unique five-piano versions of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by French composer Paul Dukas and “Rhapsody in Blue” by Steinway Artist Immortal George Gershwin. The Dukas piece, already a popular concert selection in the years following its creation in 1897, became a widely-recognized piece of pop culture thanks to its inclusion in the 1940 Disney film Fantasia, in which Mickey Mouse plays the title role. Gershwin’s iconic “Rhapsody in Blue” is one of the most memorable American concert works ever composed. The 5 Browns brought each composition to life in a playful arrangement that delighted the factory audience.
The 5 Browns were the latest performers in the innovative “Live from the Factory Floor” series, which has also included performances by Jason Moran, Olga Kern, Elio Villafranca, and Stewart Goodyear. Each installment has been performed for the entire Steinway factory production staff, allowing both Steinway Artists and Steinway artisans to celebrate the fruits of their combined talents.
