Leslie Savoy Burrs has captivated audiences across the United States and Europe with his exciting, distinctive sound -- an inspired combination of classical virtuosity and dazzling improvisation. He has appeared as guest soloist and composer with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore, Atlanta, Louisville, New Jersey and Richmond Symphonies. In addition, his performances with the Duke Ellington Band, The Philly Pops and the Moers Jazz Festival in Germany distinguish him as an artist of great depth and versatility.
Acclaimed as an award-winning performer, composer and educator, Mr. Burrs has many commissions to his credit, one, of which resulted in a new American opera entitled Vanqui (with internationally renowned author, John A. Williams providing the libretto) for Opera/Columbus with a grant from the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation and another, The Geron Fantasy for Orchestra for the Charleston Symphony with a grant award from Meet the Composer. Musical great Max Roach commissioned him to write a new composition for the Uptown String Quartet. Song for Winnie was subsequently recorded by the Uptown String Quartet on Philips Records and has been performed nationally and internationally.
Mr. Burrs has served as artist-in-residence at major universities such as the University of California at Santa Cruz, University of Pennsylvania, Clemson University and others. He has also served as artist-in-residence for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Arts Council of Richmond and the Arts Councils of Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami. In 2006 a multi-media concert production of Mr. Burrs' opera Vanqui will be presented at the University of Maryland as part of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts' Defining Moments, American Sensibilities series. He is the recipient of the 2004 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant. In 2002, Mr. Burrs was the first composer ever to receive the National Opera Association's coveted Legacy Award for his American opera, Vanqui. Mr. Burrs was commissioned by Denison University in 2001 to compose a three movement work for orchestra and choir entitled Declarations of Joy. He was awarded the 5-County Arts Fund Grant from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for the 2001-02 season. He was commissioned by the contemporary music ensemble Relache to compose Voyeuristic Absurdities (From Mingus to Diallo). This work premiered in Philadelphia March 2001.
Mr. Burrs has released the critically acclaimed CD recording Impressions of Another You on the Dreambox Media recording label.
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COMMISSIONS AND AWARDS
• 2005 Philadelphia Music Project Award for Opera North's production of VANQUI.
• Recipient of the 2004 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant.
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• Recipient of the 2002 Legacy Award from the National Opera Association for composing the opera VANQUI. The first composer to receive this award.
• Commissioned by Denison University in 2001 to compose a three movement work for orchestra and gospel choir entitled DECLARATIONS OF JOY. This work premiered at Denison University December 2001.
• Awarded the 5-County Arts Fund Grant from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for the 2001-02 season.
• Commissioned by the contemporary music ensemble Relache to compose VOYEURISTIC ABSURDITIES (FROM MINGUS TO DIALLO). This work premiered in Philadelphia March 2001.
• Commissioned by OPERA/COLUMBUS to compose the award winning two-act opera VANQUI. VANQUI premiered in Columbus, Ohio October 1999.
• 1998 Artist-In-Residence for the Marin Symphony Orchestra, CA.
• Featured Guest Composer and Performer at the Sorbonne University, Paris, France for the International African American Music and Europe Conference.
• 1996 Composer-In-Residence at the Lancaster Festival, Ohio.
• Commissioned by CHARLESTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA to compose a three movement symphonic work entitled, THE GERON FANTASY FOR ORCHESTRA (grant awarded by Meet the Composer, Inc.).
• Commissioned by MAX ROACH to compose a work for string quartet for the UPTOWN STRING QUARTET (SONG FOR WINNIE recorded on Philips Records)
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LESLIE SAVOY BURRS
• GUEST COMPOSER AND SOLOIST: Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore, Louisville, New Jersey, Richmond, Charleston, Syracuse, Saginaw Symphony Orchestras, Southeast Symphony of Alaska, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Duke Ellington Band, Grover Washington Jr., Moers Jazz Festival in Germany and West German Radio.
• GUEST ARTIST AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES performing Burrs' works: Ohio State, Virginia Commonwealth, Capital, Howard, Temple, Drexel, Norfolk State, St. Lawrence, Henderson State Universities, Haverford College, University of Miami, Wooster College, Elizabethtown College, Bryn Mawr College.
• ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAMS/LECTURES: University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, Wharton School of the University of P A., Buffalo State College, Fulton County School District, GA, Baltimore School District, Cuyahoga Community College, OH, Westark Community College, AR, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, Syracuse University, University of New Hampshire, East Carolina University, Emory University, Philadelphia Orchestra Education Department, York City School District, the Arts Councils of PA., Richmond, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami and Ketchikan, AK.
• PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVMENTS: Featured in BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC: PAST AND PRESENT, a prominent two-volume book on the history of Black American music by Hildred Roach, published by Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co., Meet the Composer Music Advisory Panel, PA Council on the Arts, Music Advisory Panel, Artistic Director of Opera North, Inc. Show less