JENNIE OH BROWN
“The irrepressibly creative flutist and new music advocate celebrates the release of her new album…” Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune, November 8, 2019 (Giantess Innova 043)
“The tone Brown draws from her flute is meltingly beautiful—rounded, seamless through all registers, robust. ” Wynne Delacoma, Chicago Classical Review, November 2019 (Giantess release concert, Constellation Chicago)
Best Classical Albums of 2019, Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune, December 6, 2019 (Giantess Innova 043)
“The performances are flawless, and the recording quality excellent; Vox Balaenae is a timeless masterpiece.” Max Christie, TheWholeNote.com, May 5, 2020 (Vox Innova 040)
“As evidenced by this album, Jennie Oh Brown really understands Schwantner’s compositional intent, and her playing reflects the beauty, intensity, rawness, and virtuosity his music requires. She excels in changing characters rapidly, and her beautiful, expressive sound is perfectly suited to Schwantner’s emotional, lyrical, and acrobatic music.” Jennifer Slaughter, National Flute Association Flutist Quarterly, Fall 2016 (Looking Back Innova 919)
A renowned flutist, collaborator, entrepreneur, and educator, Jennie Brown embraces an innovative spirit in her career. She is Executive and Artistic Director of Ear Taxi Festival and celebrates the release of her second solo album, Giantess. Produced by Innova Records and featuring the music of Carter Pann, Shulamit Ran, Augusta Read Thomas, Valerie Coleman, and Giantess has won widespread acclaim.
Brown is Executive and Artistic Director of Ear Taxi Festival, a showcase of Chicago’s vibrant community of new and experimental musicians. With over 110 proposals received, Ear Taxi Festival will launch in 2021 throughout Chicago with concerts, keynote panel discussions with leaders in the field, professional development workshops, and premieres of major commissions. Additionally, Brown launched and curated the New Music Chicago Presents series at the Chicago Cultural Center in 2019 as the first recipient of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ArtSpace grant. The series features New Music Chicago members and friends performing 21st century music written by living composers in monthly noon-time concerts at Claudia Cassidy Theater.
Brown is flutist and Executive and Artistic Director of Picosa, a Chicago-based chamber ensemble with concert series at DePaul University’s Holtschneider Performance Center and the Driehaus Museum. Picosa also holds residencies at Elmhurst College and North Central Colleges, where it is the featured ensemble for the Sounds of New Music annual festival. The ensemble will soon announce a new collaboration with the Epiphany Center for the Arts. The ensemble has been heard on many of Chicago’s prestigious concert series including Ear Taxi Festival 2016, Live from WFMT with Kerry Frumkin, Frequency Series at Constellation Chicago, and The Rush Hour Concert Series at St James Cathedral.
Brown is the founder and director of Credo Flute, now entering its sixth season, where she serves on faculty with Bonita Boyd (Eastman School of Music), Walfrid Kujala (Emeritus, Northwestern University and Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Elizabeth Ostling (Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Kelly Zimba (Toronto Symphony Orchestra). She has performed in six National Flute Association conventions, will premiere the solo flute commission Sungji Hong's Vidimus Stellam in 2021, and is also the coordinator of the National Flute Association’s Convention Performers Competition.
Brown is an active performer in Chicago, performed numerous times on WFMT, and was interviewed by Narimon Safavi for WBEZ’s Worldview regarding her Midwest premiere of Valerie Coleman’s powerful Hair, Cloth, Thread for flute and percussion.
Brown serves on the boards of Chamber Music America and New Music Chicago. She graduated from Eastman (DMA, MMPRL with Performers Certificate), Northwestern University (BM) and Interlochen Arts Academy (HS), and serves on the faculties of Wheaton College (since 2002), Elmhurst College (since 2012), and Interharmony International Music Festival, Italy (2019). She performs on a Brannen 10k flute and a 18k Lafin headjoint, Yamaha brass alto flute, a Keefe and Powell grenadilla piccolo, and a Palanca/Wenner Grenadilla Traverso.
WEBSITE
JennieBrownFlute.com
RECENT RECORDINGS
Innova 043: Giantess (solo, 2019)
Innova 040: Vox (Heare Ensemble – trio, 2020)
Innova 919: Looking Back: Music of Joseph Schwantner (solo, 2016)
Parma Recordings: Crimson and Lace (chorus and ensemble, 2015)
