LESLIE BURRS fuses classical and contemporary traditions to create a new idiom he defines as URBAN CLASSICAL MUSIC, combining classical, African-American and contemporary idioms. This gifted flutist/composer has captivated audiences across the United States and Europe with his exciting, distinctive sound -- an inspired combination of classical virtuosity and dazzling improvisation.

Appearances as a guest soloist and composer with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore, Atlanta, Louisville, New Jersey and Richmond Symphonies, The Duke Ellington Band, Peter Nero and The Philly Pops and The Moers Jazz Festival, Germany, distinguish him as an artist of such depth and versatility that he transcends the conventional labels of music and appeals to a wide range of audiences.

Acclaimed as an award winning performer, composer and educator, Leslie Burrs has been commissioned by Opera/Columbus with a Lila Wallace grant to compose a new American opera entitled VANQUI. The libretto for this opera is written by internationally renowned author, John A. Williams. The Charleston Symphony commissioned Mr. Burrs with a grant award from Meet The Composer to write a symphonic music/science fantasy entitled, THE GERON FANTASY FOR ORCHESTRA. His reputation has brought him to the attention of musical greats such as Grover Washington, Jr. and Max Roach. Commissioned by Max Roach to write a new work for the Uptown String Quartet, Mr. Burrs created "Song For Winnie." This piece, reflecting the life of Winnie Mandela, was recorded on Philips Records by the Uptown String Quartet and has been performed nationally and internationally.

Mr. Burrs has garnered recognition for his performances as well as his intellectual approach to promoting the growth of music. He has served as an artist-in-residence throughout the United States at major universities, including the University of California at Santa Cruz, University of Pennsylvania, Clemson University and others, as well as for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Arts Council of Richmond, and the Arts Councils of Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami. Mr. Burrs also founded the Creative Artists Workshop, an organization that has sponsored concerts at Philadelphia's Academy of Music Hall, which has worked closely with the Philadelphia Board of Education.

Mr. Burrs' musical versatility and innovations have earned him one of the ten nominations for the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, and he received the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant in 1991. Mr. Burrs served on the Music Advisory Panel of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Author Hildred Roach's two-volume history book, Black American Music: Past and Present, cited Mr. Burrs as one of the "space age generation's new musicians who expands its techniques to embrace all musical styles and disregards labels of stylistic trends."

Forging ahead with his unique urban classical style, Leslie Burrs stimulates the sensibilities. Through his soothing variations he gives one permission to luxuriate, as if in the midst of a timeless Saturday afternoon. Heralded as a composer and flutist, Leslie Burrs reveals the mystical richness of his instrument, while he embraces the vast spectrum of American musical tastes. Embrace him, and let his music leap into your heart.