Jennie Oh Brown
flute
“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.
Brown is flutist and Executive and Artistic Director of Picosa. She serves the ensemble by developing programming, residencies, and new performing opportunities for the ensemble. Each season, she prioritizes the music of diverse composers as well as composers based in or otherwise connected to Chicago.
Brown is also Executive and Artistic Director of Ear Taxi Festival.
Ear Taxi Festival will launch in 2021 and showcase Chicago’s vibrant community of new and experimental musicians. Additionally, she 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 began its second season in January 2020 to continue presenting monthly noon-time concerts at the Chicago Cultural Center featuring New Music Chicago members and friends performing 21st century music written by living composers.
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.
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)
photo credits: head shot with flute, Devon Cass; head shot, Elliot Mandel Photography