MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Donna Brown is a classicly trained musician who began music at three. Her early life was devoted to piano and organ. While in high school Ms.Brown worked as the Director of Chapel Music for Craig Air Force Base. She also performed as an accompanist and student conductor for her High School Choir.
Ms. Brown attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts as a National Achievement Scholar where she studied piano, organ, voice and conducting. Leaving Mt. Holyoke, she received her BM degree from The Julliard School in Lincoln Center, New York City as a conducting student of Abraham Kaplan. She returned a decade later as a graduate student and teaching fellow under Richard Westenburg.
Ms. Brown has performed internationally as a pianist/musical director for Jeree Palmer, Ronnie Dyson, The Main Ingredients, often opening for such stars as, Joel Grey, David Brenner, Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Diller, Natalie Cole, Norman Connors, Force MD’s, Michael Henderson, Atlantic Starr, The Black Expo (Rick James Headlining), Billy Paul, MC Hammer, Gladys Knight, The Detroit Spinners, The Manhattans, The Temptations (Dennis Edwards, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks) , Curtis Mayfield, Greg Burge,etc.. Ms. Brown was Assistant Artistic Director/Pianist for The Boys’ Choir of Harlem as educator and making numerous performances including Amahl and The Night Visitors (Geoffrey Holder, director), Rockerfeller Center, a European Tour and 2 appearances at The White House. She has done numerous performances and shows around New York City including The Village Gate, The Peppermint Lounge, The Apollo Theater, The Grand Piano, The Cotton Club (new) and The Billy Holiday Theatre, to name a few.
Ms. Brown worked many off-Broadway shows including “Tambourines To Glory”, Asst. Musical Director for “Prime Time”(Joyce Brown, Mus.Dir.) and “Golden Boy” starring Obba Babatundé among others.
As a Minister of Music and Church Organist, Ms. Brown has prepared and conducted Requiem by Mozart and works by Handel for the Roseville Concert Choir and Orchestra. She has prepared groups for performances of such classical pieces as Les Noces by Stravinsky, Messiah by Handel and Requiem by Verdi. She has founded several gospel groups including the Martin Luther King

Singers, the Southern Baptist Voices of Praise and the Mount Holyoke College Gospel Choir.
Ms. Brown has done three tours throughout Europe as the Musical Director/Conductor of the Gershwin Gala (1989-91), a beautifully staged show of the music of George Gershwin for Jazz Orchestra and singers.
Ms. Brown is the co-founder and Musical Director of The Black Gospel Pearls and The Golden Gospel Pearls who have performed in 19 European countries since 1992. The Golden Gospel Pearls were featured in the movie “Beyond The Sea” starring Kevin Spacey, The Voice of Germany and numerous videos. With her gospel groups, Ms. Brown has produced four gospel albums and one maxi single. The Golden Gospel Pearls, with over 800,000 fans, are famous for their annual Christmas Concerts in Berlin, Germany.
Ms. Brown has performed as arranger, pianist and conductor for Gayle Tuft’s Soul Sensation Show in Berlin, Germany.
Ms. Brown has found great pleasure and artistic expressinon in entertaining in hotel piano bars since the early 80’s. As a pianist/singer, Ms. Brown has performed widely in such places as Manhattan, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Lucern,
Gaastad, Montreux, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Bremen, Dresden, Magdeburg, Baden-Baden, Hamburg, Vienna, Bratislava and Berlin in some of “the most beautiful hotels”. Ms. Brown spent three years as pianist for The Ritz Carlton Hotel, Berlin.
Ms. Brown is currently presenting The Golden Gospel Pearls, The Black Pearl Jazz Sextet, Donna Brown and Orchestra, A Tribute To Nina Simone, The Soul of Berlin Jazz Orchestra and Soul of Berlin Publishing. Ms. Brown has studied classical piano with Ethel Dinkins, Edgar Ziegler and Ronald Hodges; classical organ with Ethel Dinkins and Myrtle Reigier and Dennis Keene; jazz piano with Mickey Bass, Mike Logan and Reggie Moore; voice with Mr. Cumberland, Ann Ruckert, Barbara Christopher and Michael Dixon; conducting with Tamara Brooks, Abraham Kaplan and Richard Westenburg.