Page 6 - Guest Musicians

EDWIN ORION BROWNELL

Edwin Orion Brownell is a composer, concert pianist, entertainer, rocker and author who has been
electrifying audiences in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and across North America. Born in Ottawa to
musical parents, he started playing piano at the age of four and two years later began his training with
the Royal Conservatory.

After a successful international career touring over two decades with rock and R&B groups (including
Longbottom, Straight No Chaser, Black and Blue, Crawdaddy, Bobby Lee Silcott, Derek Martin, Angel
Forrest and his own ensemble Edwin & the Bedouins) Brownell returned to his roots, performing the

romantic repertoire and specializing in the music of Chopin and Tchaikovsky.
In 1995 he began working with ballet companies (most notably Montreal’s “Ballet Divertimento”) and
some of his improvised pieces for the dancers were later turned into his earliest classical compositions.

This focus on composition lead to the release of his first classical albums; “Maimonides Pops” and
“Music of the Dance.” Although these CDs contained classical covers and ballet classics, they also
featured original works which were premiered at Place des Arts in 2005.

Over the next two years Brownell completed “Journey of the Spirit,” a double album of entirely
original music, including his tour-de-force “The Ein Gedi Suite.” This disc was launched at the Ein Gedi
Concert Hall in Israel in 2007, at Place des Arts in 2008, and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in
2012 and 2013.

In 2009, the composer released his fourth classical album, the CD / DVD “SMILE” at another sold out
Place des Arts concert. Over the next three years, he wrote, produced and launched his 5th classical
disc and first chamber music album “Songs of Love and Marriage.” Featuring solo piano pieces

alongside works performed by his quintet The Zara Strings, the concerts at Place des Arts and the
National Arts Centre launching this CD were recorded and released on his 2014 live album “Forever
Laughter.”

With new chamber music works under his belt, “The Inside Track” (featuring studio recordings of 11
new original compositions), was launched with a sextet version of the Zara Strings to a sold out show
at Loyola Chapel in the fall of 2016. This concert and the rehearsals leading up to it were recorded for
Brownell’s 11th album “Songs for Canada,” released on Canada’s 150th birthday on July 1st, 2017. His
latest classical opus contains six new compositions for solo piano, one new work for bassoon quintet,
and his famous Ein Gedi Suite re-arranged for piano sextet.

Edwin continues to play with Edwin & the Bedouins (who now include the musicians of The Guess
Who, Mahogany Rush, April Wine and Offenbach), and launched the group’s 3rd album “One for All”
in 2011. In 2013, he celebrated his group’s twentieth anniversary by headlining a huge benefit concert
for the Philippine typhoon relief. In August of 2017 he performed with Gary Moffet and Jerry Mercer

at the Hemmingford Campground just south of Montreal, and continues to play occasionally with