POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music will host guest artist Michael Burritt for a percussion concert showcasing some of his own compositions Saturday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Snell Theater.

The program features two works by Johannes Sebastian Bach performed entirely on percussion, including an Adagio from the Sonata for Violin in G-Minor, and the chorale cantata "Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten."

The concert will continue with a recently completed work by Alejandro Viñao, "The Burritt Variations," a set of seven variations with a Latin theme, which was commissioned by the artist. In addition, a work that was dedicated to Burritt, "Into The Air," by Ivan Trevino, will also be presented.

The guest artist concert will conclude with three of Burritt's original compositions, including "The Offering," "Prelude No. 5" and "Rounders," which he will perform alongside members of the Potsdam Percussion Ensemble.

Having performed on four continents and nearly 40 states, Michael Burritt is one of the world's leading percussion soloists. He performs in concert tours and masterclasses throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. He has been a soloist with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the Tempus Fugit Percussion Ensemble, based in Pittsburgh, Penn.

In addition, he has performed with the Ju Percussion Group in Taiwan, the Percussion Art Quartet in Germany, the Amores Percussion Group in Spain and Peaux in Sweden. Burritt has three solo recordings, including "Perpetual," "Shadow Chasers" and "Waking Dreams," as well as numerous collaborative recordings.

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. Burritt has extensive chamber and orchestral experience and has performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, the Chicago Symphony, the Rembrandt Players and the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra.

He is also active as a composer, with three concertos to his credit, plus 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. Burritt has been commissioned by the World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Germany, the Paris International Marimba Competition and the Nexus Percussion Ensemble, to name a few. His works have been published by Keyboard Percussion Publications, Innovative Percussion, C. Alan and Ludwig Music.

Burritt is also an artist/educational clinician with the Zildjian Company and Evans Drum Heads. Burritt served as a member of the Percussive Arts Society Board of Directors from 1996 to 2008. He is a contributing editor for Percussive Notes Magazine.

Burritt is a professor of percussion and head of the department at The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, and only the third person in the history of the school to hold this position. Prior to his appointment at Eastman, Burritt was professor of percussion at Northwestern University from 1995 to 2008, where he developed a program of international distinction. He received his bachelor's and Master of Music degrees, as well as the prestigious performer's certificate from Eastman.