Patrick Burns

From Wind Repertory Project
Patrick J. Burns

Biography

Patrick J. Burns (b. 1969, Newark, N.J.) is an American clarinetist, composer, conductor, music educator and publisher.

Mr. Burns has served as adjunct professor of music at Montclair State University in New Jersey since 1994, where he teaches courses in music theory, orchestration, and composition, and has also been director of the New Jersey City University Symphony of Winds and Percussion since September 2011. As a clarinetist, Mr. Burns has performed with many professional ensembles in the New York metro area including the Metropolitan Opera Summer Ballet Orchestra, the pit orchestra for the Broadway revival production of Camelot starring Robert Goulet, and with the New Jersey Chamber Music Society in broadcasts for National Public Radio and New Jersey Network Television. After teaching for 15 years in the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, Mr. Burns is currently employed by Ackk Studios as orchestrator/composer/conductor for the company’s video game and film projects. Recently, several of his orchestrations were recorded by the Prague FilmHarmonic Orchestra.

In 1986, at the age of seventeen, Mr. Burns founded the Bloomfield Youth Band, a community wind ensemble of some 55 secondary school and collegiate musicians which he continues to direct today. The Youth Band has been recognized for its outstanding artistic achievements and service to the community by the United States Congress, the New Jersey Legislature and the Mayor and Town Council of Bloomfield. Mr. Burns is former director of the Montclair State University Youth Orchestra and the Imperial Brass. He has been featured as guest conductor and clinician with public school, community, university, region and all-state bands and orchestras in New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio and has recorded albums and concertized with world-renowned brass artists Philip Smith, Billy Hunter, Warren Vaché, Roger Webster and Chris Jaudes.

His compositions for symphonic band are performed by bands of every level throughout the country. The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”, has performed his music in Washington, D.C. and at Carnegie Hall. His music has also been performed by conservatory and military bands in Sweden, Russia, Japan and China. His music for symphonic band has appeared on Bandworld magazine’s Top 100 list of band compositions five times. The Instrumentalist and School Music News have printed numerous favorable reviews of Mr.Burns’ band music and The Classical New Jersey Society Journal has praised his chamber music. His music for symphonic band has been performed at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago and has been recorded for the educational series Distinguished Music for the Developing Band. He has received commissions from many universities and community organizations including the Goldman Band/Harvey Phillips Foundation, The Ohio Northern University chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, the Bel Air (Maryland) Community Band, Marywood University, Eastern Arizona College, the SoundTree Corporation, Westlake Village High School Wind Ensemble (California) for the band’s performance at Carnegie Hall, and for the Salem Band in North Carolina for its 250th Anniversary (1771-2021).

For 14 years, Mr. Burns served as president of the Bloomfield Federation of Music, a community performing arts organization founded in 1943. In March 2010, he founded his own publishing company, Bandworks Publications, which he continues to operate today.


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