The New York Times said of his playing, "Burns uses his instrument with the lightness and flexibility of a singer in operatic arias.
[2] During that time he also studied at the Tanglewood Music Center during the summers under Armando Ghitalla, Gerard Schwarz, Pierre Thibaud, and Arnold Jacobs.
[3] Burns won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1981,[4] which led to his acclaimed New York City recital debut at the 92nd Street Y on 23 March 1982.
[6] He has performed with major orchestras and music ensembles throughout the world including performances with the Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, the Arturo Toscanini Orchestra, the Leipzig Kammerorkester, the Japan National Philharmonic, and the Seattle Symphony to name just a few.
He is also the Artistic Director of the Fulcrum Point New Music Project and the American Concerto Orchestra in Chicago.