Having performed on four continents and nearly forty states Michael Burritt is one of the World’s leading percussion soloists. He is in frequent demand performing concert tours and master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. Mr. Burritt has been soloist with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Ju Percussion Group (Taiwan), Percussion Art Quartet (Germany), Amores Percussion Group (Spain), Peaux (Sweden) and the Tempus Fugit Percussion Ensemble of Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Burritt has three solo recordings – Perpetual, Shadow Chasers and Waking Dreams on the Resonator Records label. The recordings are comprised of Burritt’s original compositions as well as works written expressly for him. He has been a featured artist at seven Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. In 1992 he presented his New York solo debut in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall and in 1998 performed his London debut in the Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Mr Burritt has extensive chamber and orchestral experience and has performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, The Chicago Symphony, The Rembrandt Players, and the The Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra.
Mr. Burritt is also active as a composer, with two concertos to his credit, numerous solo and chamber works for marimba and percussion as well as two books of etudes. His works for solo marimba have become standard repertoire for the instrument and are frequently required repertoire on international competitions. He has been commissioned by The World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart Germany, The Paris International Marimba Competition and the Nexus Percussion Ensemble to mention a few. Mr. Burritt is published with Keyboard Percussion Publications, Innovative Percussion, C. Alan and Ludwig Music. Burritt is also an artist/clinician and product design/consultant for Malletech, where he has developed his own line of signature marimba mallets. He is also an artist/ educational clinician with the Zildjian Company and Evans Drum Heads. Mr. Burritt served as a member of the Percussive Arts Society Board of Directors from 1996 – 2008. He is a contributing editor for Percussive Notes Magazine and the chairman of the PAS Keyboard Committee.
Michael Burritt is currently Professor of Percussion and head of the department at The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and only the third person in the history of the school to hold this position. Prior to his appointment at Eastman Mr. Burritt was Professor of Percussion at Northwestern University from 1995-2008 where he developed a program of international distinction. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees, as well as the prestigious Performers Certificate from Eastman. His teachers have included John Beck, Gordon Stout, Paul Yancich and Herbert Flower.