Patrick J. Burns composer

PATRICK J. BURNS (b. 1969) 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 taught instrumental music in the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools since 1998. 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. In September 2011, Mr. Burns began his tenure as Director of the Symphony of Winds and Percussion at New Jersey City University. More recently, he has signed on with Ackk Studios as orchestrator/composer/conductor for the company’s video game projects being produced for the Nintendo and Sony Corporations.

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. 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. 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 in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio and has recorded albums and concertized with world-renowned brass artists Philip Smith, Warren Vaché, Roger Webster and Chris Jaudes.

Patrick Burns’ music for symphonic band is published by G. Schirmer, Daehn Publications, Grand Mesa Music Publishers, FJH Music, Wingert-Jones Music, and TRN Music Publisher. His music 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 organizations including the Goldman Band/Harvey Phillips Foundation, Ohio Northern University, the Bel Air (Maryland) Community Band, the SoundTree Corporation and Westlake Village High School Wind Ensemble (California) for the band’s performance at Carnegie Hall.

From 2003-2010, Mr. Burns served as president of the Bloomfield Federation of Music and in March 2010, he founded his own publishing company, Bandworks Publications.