Gregory C. Brown: Alpha Centauri

Performer, composer and recording artist Gregory Charles Brown picked up a guitar in 1982, and since then it has shaped his life. After playing in metal and rock bands in the eighties and early nineties, Brown turned his attention to classical guitar. There he found a new level of creative freedom and an intimacy with the instrument that had been covered by the effects and amplification of electric guitar. Brown received formal instruction from various teachers, performers and composers, including Pepe Romero, Dr. Douglas James (Appalachian State University), Keith Stevens (James Madison University), Christopher Berg (University of South Carolina), Thomas Patterson (Arizona State University), and Anthony Glise, who was nominated for a Pulitzer-prize for composition. Though his technical skill improved, Brown still felt restrained by the rules of classical composition. His musical interests moved beyond the borders of the US, across Europe and into Asia; Brown cites such diverse influences as Beethoven, Eddie Van Halen, Paganini, and the countless composers of traditional Spanish, Flamenco, and Chinese music. Recording artist Benjamin Verdery of Yale University advised Brown to “think outside the box” and draw from his varied interests and personal experience to create his own style. Brown showcased his new compositional style with his first CD, Collected Works for Guitar, released in 1996, which included his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra. In 1997, Brown was commissioned to write another piece for guitar and orchestra. Brown’s tone poem Transylvania premiered with the Charlottesville Chamber Orchestra and is the title track of Brown’s second disc, released in 1999. Brown’s third disc, Distant Places, best displays his diverse talent. The disc includes Arabic, Asian, and American influenced works for solo guitar, a rhumba, two orchestral pieces and the return of his electric guitar. As Brown matures in his compositional voice, he has felt more comfortable integrating techniques from his electric days and expanding knowledge of world music. His second CD, Sojourns in Solitude was released in 2006 and also available at iTunes!, CDnow, and Amazon.com. This acoustic album is half steel string and half classical with a newly re-mastered Transylvania as a finale. In 2014, Mr. Brown released a CD containing most of his Chamber Music, called 2014. He also released the medley Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective from the Zojoi Video Game series of the same name for which he composed music. Greg’s newest CD “Recuerdos de Espana” will be released April 15, 2016. This CD is a compilation of mostly original music all inspired by Spain. Brown has been a member of the Guitar Foundation of America, the Charlottesville Classical Guitar Society, the College Music Society and the Society of Composers, Inc. He taught guitar at Mary Baldwin College from 2004-2006, and is currently teaching privately in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, where he resides with his family. He is a graduate of the Music, Video and Business program at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Brown’s recordings are distributed globally through The Orchard and wherever MP3 files can be downloaded. His compositions are available globally through Les Productions D’Oz. In 2015, Brown started his own publishing company, Greg C Brown Guitar Publications and is working on distributing these works (mostly orchestral) through J.W. Pepper, the world’s largest distributor of sheet music. To learn more about Gregory C. Brown, please visit his websites at: https://gregbrownguitar.wordpress.com/ https://gregorycharlesbrown.bandcamp.com/album/2014 CDs can be purchased at: Itunes, CDnow and CDBaby