Patterson, Paul

Music in Print

Paul Patterson studied trombone and composition at the Royal Academy of Music, returning there to become Head of Composition and Contemporary Music until 1997, when he became Manson Professor of Composition. A regular guest on composition competition panels both in the UK and further afield, he has worked with South East Arts, the London Sinfonietta and between 1997 and 2010 he was Composer in Residence with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

His enthusiasm for music both challenging and enjoyable to performers and audiences has produced a number of important large-scale choral works including Mass of the Sea, Stabat Mater, Te Deum and Millennium Mass. His chamber works are no less successful, with his Wind Quintet, Westerly Winds, Conversations, Bugs, Spiders, The Tides of Mannannan and the Phoenix Sonata receiving performances the world over.

His orchestral works are performed regularly by leading performers in the United Kingdom and abroad, most popular among which are the orchestral setting of Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, Magnificat and the Violin Concerto.

Patterson is a tireless advocate for contemporary music and has organised many special composer festivals at the Royal Academy of Music. His awards include the PRS/RPS Leslie Boosey Award (1996) and in 2010 he was awarded the Gold Medal from the Polish Ministry of Culture, for his promotion of Polish music outside of Poland.

Major commissions have included works for the London Philharmonic (Little Red Riding Hood and The Magic Orchestra), BBC Concert Orchestra (Jubilee Dances) JAM Memorial Commission (The Fifth Continent), National Youth Orchestra (Orchestra on Parade), International Double Reed Society (Phoenix Concerto), Hampstead & Highgate Festival (Viola Concerto) and the Thaxted Festival (Thaxted Dances).

Recent CD releases have included Conversations for Clarinet and Piano, Bugs for solo Harp, the three sting concerti (Violin, Viola and Cello) conducted by George Vass and the Phoenix Concerto, played by its dedicatee, Emily Pailthorpe with the English Chamber Orchestra.

Detailed information about Paul, his works and performances can be found on his website: www.paulpatterson.co.uk