Patrick J. Burns (b. 1969) serves as Adjunct Professor of Music at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where he teaches courses in orchestration, counterpoint, band literature and music composition, and also teaches instrumental music in the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. 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 1986, at the age of seventeen, Mr. Burns founded the Bloomfield Youth Band, a community wind ensemble of some 50 secondary school and collegiate musicians which he continues to direct today. At its tenth anniversary concert in 1996, the Youth Band was recognized by the New Jersey Legislature and the United States Congress for its artistic excellence and civic contribution to Bloomfield and to the State of New Jersey. Mr. Burns served as conductor of the MSU Youth Orchestra for three years and as director of the Imperial Brass, an English-style brass band, until January 2003. The band's first album, Highlights, received critical acclaim in the United States and Britain. Imperial Brass and Friends, the band's latest album under Mr. Burns' direction, features world-renowned soloists Philip Smith, Warren Vache, Roger Webster and Chris Jaudes. Mr. Burns has been featured as guest conductor and clinician with public school, university, community and honor bands in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

His compositions for symphonic band are performed by bands of nearly 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. Other performances credits include the Indiana University Symphonic Band (Stephen Pratt,) the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Symphonic Band (Jack Stamp,) the Hofstra University Wind Ensemble (Peter Loel Boonshaft,) the MSU Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony (Mary Ann Craig,) the Ridgewood Concert Band (Chris Wilhjelm,) the Hanover Wind Symphony (Peter Boor) and the Bel Air, Maryland Community Band (Scott Sharnetzka.) His music has also been performed by military bands in Sweden and Russia. The New Jersey Saxophone Ensemble has premiered six of Mr. Burns' works in the last two years and one of his works for solo piano, The Persistence of Memory, has been performed numerous times by American pianist David Witten in Europe and South America.

Mr. Burns' music for symphonic band is published by Daehn Publications, Wingert-Jones Music and TRN Music Publisher. His music has appeared on Bandworld magazine's Top 100 list of band compositions in 2002 and 2003. The Instrumentalist and School Music News have also printed favorable reviews of Mr. Burns' band music and The Classical New Jersey Society Journal has praised chamber music. 

Recent honors include the MSU Department of Music Faculty Music Education Award (2001), the ASCAP Special Composition Award ('02, '03 and '04) and a citation from Mayor and Town Council of Bel Air, Maryland (2002). Mr. Burns also serves as president of the Bloomfield Federation of Music and as faculty advisor for the MSU chapter of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity.