Leslie Savoy Burrs

About

Leslie Savoy Burrs (b. 1952) is an award-winning performer, composer and educator. Mr. Burrs was commissioned by NewCourtland Elder Services to write the opera Transitions: Sung Stories. An excerpted live performance of this opera was presented at the 2012 national OPERA America Conference in Philadelphia, PA. A proponent of arts advocacy and community outreach, Mr. Burrs was invited as a speaker and panelist at OPERA America to share his approach that combines opera, the humanities and community engagement while contributing a new work to the American opera repertoire. He is also the subject of a documentary made by ONI which highlights Mr. Burrs’ effective methodology for engaging senior citizens in residential settings through interactive music workshops. In 2008 Leslie Burrs collaborated with famed author, poet, and sculptor Barbara Chase Riboud to create the opera Portrait of a Nude Woman as Cleopatra, and the recording has been made available on iTunes. He also received commissions to compose two other operas: The Geron Fantasy for Orchestra for the Charleston Symphony and Vanqui for Opera/Columbus, for which he was the first composer ever to receive the National Opera Association’s coveted Legacy Award. He has appeared as guest soloist and composer with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore, Atlanta, Louisville, New Jersey and Richmond Symphonies Orchestras. He is the recipient of the 2007 and 2004 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant. Mr. Burrs has served as artist-in-residence at major universities, colleges and arts councils throughout the United States. As an administrator Mr. Burrs has had success coordinating, fund raising and producing concert events and nonprofit organization cultural activities over the course of twenty-five years.

Related Information

Works by Leslie Savoy Burrs