Stephanie Brown, piano

Stephanie Brown has performed as soloist with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Brandenburg Ensemble.  She has appeared numerous times on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and at The Kennedy Center.  She has also had the honor of performing at The White House.

Critics have hailed Ms. Brown’s performances as a soloist.  The New York Times wrote that “it was instantly apparent that Brown is a wonderful pianist indeed, with a sound of her own and a distinctive artistic personality to match ... the return of the chorale theme was transfixingly beautiful.”   Regarding a performance of Beethoven’s 2nd Piano Concerto in Avery Fisher Hall, the Times wrote that “her fluent fingerwork was technically flawless”.

The New York Post noted that “the concert was illuminated by the radiant playing of Stephanie Brown.  The breadth, nobility and sparkle of her keyboard work are extraordinary.”  And in Washington, the Post wrote that “Stephanie Brown is a pianist with big ideas and a technique to match.”

Her collaborative performances have met with equal praise.  Reviewing a performance at Mostly Mozart in Lincoln Center, the Times wrote  that “the performance was wonderful.  Yefim Bronfman and Stephanie Brown have played together often enough to have developed a real pianistic rapport.  Their work together was enchanting.”

Another review in the Times stated that “yesterday afternoon’s performances at Avery Fisher Hall were simply lovely.  The keyboard soloists were Peter Serkin and Stephanie Brown.  Both were delightful.  The slow movement, with Miss Brown and Mr. Serkin trading off their graceful, elegantly ornamented lines, was a rare pleasure.”

Ms. Brown got her early start as a performer as a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York City.  She has toured extensively as a soloist throughout the United States, and has performed in Europe, Central and South America, and Japan.  As a collaborative artist she has appeared with Yo-Yo Ma, the Guarneri Quartet, Alexander Schneider, and toured extensively with Music from Marlboro.

Ms. Brown studied with Rudolf Serkin and Leon Fleisher, and coached on the works of Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven with Alfred Brendel.  Her early training was with the Russian virtuoso Ania Dorfmann at the Juilliard School.

Ms. Brown began her teaching career at the Mannes School of Music where she was a member of the piano faculty for ten years. She began teaching at Purchase College in 1997, and served as the chair of the piano department from 1997-2007.