Miriam Burns
Kenosha Symphony Orchestra's
Music Director and Conductor

2007-2008 marks Miriam Burns' eleventh season conducting the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra.

MIRIAM BURNS is one of the Cover Conductors on staff of the New York Philharmonic, having been appointed by Kurt Masur in 1999, as a result of an audition by-invitation-only. In this capacity, she accompanied the New York Philharmonic on tour to the Far East in October, 2002 as the tour Assistant Conductor to then new Music Director, Lorin Maazel.

Ms. Burns is also the Music Director/Conductor of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (FL), the Orchestra of the Redeemer in New York City and formerly also Music Director of the Lawton Philharmonic (OK) and the C.W. Post Summer Music Festival. Equally experienced on operatic stages, Ms. Burns conducts the opera productions during the summers at the MasterWorks Festival and was Associate Music Director of the Bronx Opera Company – conducting opening night performances – for nine years.

Increasingly in demand as a guest conductor throughout the United States and abroad, Ms. Burns' international debut occurred with the Bournemouth Symphony in 1999, in three concerts throughout the south of England. Her debut in Germany in 2003 involved conducting at the Stadthalle in Wuppertal, the First Ladies Symphony Orchestra of Poland, and in September 2006, Ms. Burns conducted two performances with the Yin-Qi Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan.

Recently within the US, she has guest conducted the Milwaukee Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, New York AllState Orchestra, Little Orchestra Society, MasterWorks Festival, Skaneateles Festival, and, upon recommendation of Lorin Maazel, the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming performances include a debut with the South Carolina Philharmonic.

Ms. Burns has received conducting awards from the Aspen Music Festival, studying with Paul Vermel, and the Conductors Guild, where she was unanimously presented in 1989 with their prestigious biennial prize, the Robinson Scholarship. In addition to her professional affiliations, she completed the Artist Diploma Fellowship in Yale University's eminent Conductor Apprentice Program upon special invitation of Yale faculty. In this capacity, she regularly worked with noted mentor conductors such as Gunther Herbig, Lawrence Leighton Smith and Eleazar de Carvallho. She also participated in master classes under the tutelage of prominent guests such as Kurt Masur, Leopold Hager and Zdenek Macal. Ms. Burns completed her Masters degree and Professional Studies in Orchestral Conducting on full scholarship at the Mannes College of Music (NY), where she studied with Yakov Kreizberg and Michael Charry. Previously active as a violinist, she holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees in violin performance from Mannes, during which time she began preliminary conducting studies with Semyon Bychkov. Ms. Burns is an alumna of both the New York String Orchestra Seminar under Alexander Schneider and The Quartet Program. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Burns was an original member of what is now the Chester String Quartet.

You may e-mail Miriam Burns at batonlady@aol.com with program questions, requests for auditions, etc.

Maestra Burns' lodging is provided by Best Western Harborside Inn & Conference Center.