King University’s Institute for Faith & Culture (IFC) hosts Kellie Brown, Ed.D., as the 2021-22 speaker series, “Listen to Your Life,” continues on Monday, March 21.
Brown is the chair of the Music Department and professor of music at Milligan University. She serves as the conductor of the Milligan Orchestra and is also the assistant conductor and associate concertmaster of the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra.
A frequent clinician and violinist throughout the country, Brown has performed several world premieres, including “An Encounter for Violin and Piano” by Jane Perry. She has also conducted numerous world premieres, including “Genesis” by internationally renowned composer Kenton Coe. In addition, she is an accomplished writer and researcher.
Brown will present two lectures on Monday, March 21. The first, “Refuting the Silence: Musical Works that Defied the Nazi Cultural Agenda,” will be held at 9:15 a.m. at the Memorial Chapel on the campus of King University.
Her second presentation, “The Sound of Hope: Holocaust Music as an Agent of Remembrance, Resistance, Resilience, and Reconciliation,” will take place at 7 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Virginia. Both events are free and open to the public.
“For many years, the King Institute for Faith and Culture has reflected on the Holocaust and its ongoing impact on our world,” said Martin Dotterweich, Ph.D., director of the IFC. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Kellie Brown to share more about the music she studies, where faith engages culture with both prophetic witness and defiant hope. Her careful research has illuminated the courage and creativity of composers and performers, a subject that lends a poignant view to current world events.
As a recognized authority on music during the Holocaust, Brown has spoken frequently at academic institutions and conferences around the world. Her latest book, “The Sound of Hope: Music as Solace, Resistance, and Salvation during the Holocaust & World War II,” was released by McFarland Publishing in 2020, and has received both national and international acclaim. She is currently working on a new project for Oxford University Press that will be released in 2022
During her 30-year teaching career, Brown has impacted thousands of music students from preschool age to adults. She remains a committed arts advocate in the community, and is the recipient of numerous awards for her teaching and contributions to the arts, including the Outstanding Teaching Award from the Tennessee Governor’s School of the Arts in 2011 and the Bristol YWCA Woman of the Year Award for the Arts in 2009.
For more information about the Institute, including the full schedule for the 2021-22 speaker series, visit king.edu/faithandculture.
