Tona Brown


Tona Brown is an American violinist, mezzo-soprano and the first transgender woman to perform at Carnegie Hall. She was the first African American transgender woman to perform for an American president.

Early life and education

Brown, who started playing violin at the age of 10, attended the Governor's School for the Arts, an art high school program for gifted and talented students. Brown was formally educated at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music studying violin performance with minors in viola, piano and voice.

Career

She was selected to perform in a national tour with the "Tranny Road Show", a multi-media tour group of transgender artists that toured from Florida to Canada in April 2006. Brown was also selected to be a performer for the 2011 Out Music Awards. On June 25, 2014, Brown performed at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall. In 2015 Brown appeared in For Which We Stand, a full-length documentary film highlighting LGBTQ and straight artists.

Discography