Life and Music
Born into a fishing family, Burtner heard music in the ice and snow melting as well as other nature sounds. Once into grade school, he began learning the saxophone, playing in jazz bands, school bands and performance groups throughout his young years.
In college, he studied philosophy, composition, saxophone and computer music at St. Johns College, Tulane University (BFA 1993), Iannis Xenakis's UPIC Studios, the Peabody Institute of JHU (MM 1997), and Stanford University's CCRMA (DMA 2002). At Stanford he studied and worked closely with Max Mathews, Jonathan Harvey, Brian Ferneyhough and Jon Berger.
Burtner is currently Assistant Professor of composition and computer music at the University of Virginia where he is Associate Director of the VCCM Computer Music Center. He was an Invited Researcher at IRCAM/Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2005, an Artist in Residence at the Cite International des Arts in Paris, as well as Composer-in-Residence at Musikene in San Sebastian, Spain.
There are many works by Burtner, including music and sound art for instrumental ensembles, digital sound and multimedia, as well as pieces that he performs on the Metasax. Excerpts of his music can be heard in the "Listening Room" on his website.They are also available on several published recordings.
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