Curriculum Vitae/Bio Michael is currently very active as a composer of concert and chamber music. Michael’s creative output is vast including commissions and concert work for the London Symphony Orchestra, Silesian String Quartet, Green Umbrella Ensemble, Miranda Cuckson, Eastman Trombone Choir, Ernest Bloch Chamber Ensemble, NYRO (New York Repertory Orchestra), Cycropia Aerial Ballet Company, https://www.cycropia.org/ and the Debussy Trio to name a few. Notable works are the Piano Quintet, and Concerto for Jazz Piano and Orchestra - After Autumn for Marc Copland, String Quartet No.1 recently premiered by the New Hollywood String Quartet, Pictures From Brueghel for virtuoso violinist Judy Kang, Parallel Forms for the award winning trombone quartet Novus and Psalm for String Orchestra and Saxophone, premiered by Eddie Daniels and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. The Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra, composed for artist Rick VanMatre, which has been performed internationally. Catching Light, has been premiered by Rick with international artist Thomas Murray and with the Ariel String Quartet. Michael has taught composition and orchestration in the prestigious Jazz Arts program at Manhattan School of Music, 2003-2010 and has been a professor, teaching composition for film, orchestration and conducting in the New York University’s Steinhardt Screen Scoring program since 2003. His professional work has produced a Grammy Award for best Jazz Instrumental Album- Moody 4-B, (2010) and a second nomination in 2019 for Heart of Brazil featuring Eddie Daniels and the Harlem String Quartet. His work in television produced a shared Emmy award for his work on LucasFilms Young Indiana Jones series, Young Indiana Jones and the Scandal of 1920’s. He was also a contributing composer and orchestrator for the YIJ’s award winning series Attack of The Hawkmen.
Michael has had a long successful career in film. As one of the primary orchestrator/arrangers on J.A.G., a CBS weekly drama which ran for ten years, Michael was on staff and contributed both as an orchestrator and arranger to over fifty episodes. Other film work includes episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures with Steven Spielberg. He collaborated and arranged many period arrangements and the main title to Lucasfilms’ feature film, Radioland Murders. When Hollywood film composing legend Leonard Rosenman was preparing to score what was to be his last full length feature film, with large orchestra, Jurij, (Varese Sarabande) Michael was asked to orchestrate, conduct, and assist Leonard in the production of the score, and Michael was commissioned as well to contribute a new version of the Vitali Chaconne for orchestra and soloist. (Jurij (Original Soundtrack Recording) available on Spotify. In addition to his film and concert work Michael’s jazz arrangements and original compositions have been performed by jazz legends Hank Jones, Woody Shaw, Bob Shepherd, Roland Hanna, Woody Herman, Eddie Daniels, Marc Copland and Phil Woods, and Bob Brookmeyer to name a few. Recent recordings featuring Michael Patterson as producer, arranger, and composer can be heard on the IPOrecordings record label, and include One More: The Music of Thad Jones, Vol. I; One More: The Summary, The Music of Thad Jones, Vol. II; One More, Mean What You Say and Homecoming with Eddie Daniels and Tom Ranier, Joe Locke and Richard Davis ; Our Delight, Moody 4A and Moody 4B (Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album) featuring jazz legends Hank Jones and James Moody. Other recordings include “Concerti” with jazz legend Gene Bertoncini, (Ambient Records).The Music of Cole Porter, featuring Calabria Foti with Eddie Daniels and Bob McChesney ,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5SAot5vpUo, and Can’t We Be Friends with Judy Whitmore (Capitol Records).
IMPROVISATORY MINDS https://improvisatoryminds.org/ Michael’s commitment to American culture and the performing arts can be seen in his seminal role as a composer in the composer’s collective Improvisatory Minds. A collective of four concert composers, Michael Patterson, Bevan Manson, Ed Neumeister and Dennis Dreith, who are also active jazz musicians. We present performances of original chamber music informed by a jazz perspective, thereby promoting a unique and often neglected facet of the contemporary concert world. Formed in 2011, Improvisatory Minds has presented concerts in Las Angeles area venues such as Upstair’s at Vitello’s, Classical Encounters, and Sessions at the Loft, as well as at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, and Saint Peter’s Church in New York City. Prominent guest composers have included Claire Fischer, Billy Childs, Jeff Beal, Paquito D’Rivera, Andre Previn, John Williams, and Vince Mendoza. Featured artists have included, the Lyris String Quartet, the New Hollywood String Quartet, The Righteous Girls, The Midnight Winds, Stuttgart Chamber Orchetra concertmaster Ben Hudson, pianists Antoinette Perry and Gloria Cheng, and many more. Improvisatory Minds is a not-for-profit organization that actively encourages the creation of new chamber works by composers with a jazz perspective, and promotes this music through concerts, clinics, educational and community outreach.
Currently Michael’s concert music schedule has seen him create Tango Obscura for Clarinet and Orchestra for Eddie Daniels birthday in 2021, A Fantasia on Alfred Burt’s Christmas Carols for Orchestra and Chorus, 2021 and a song cycle, Love Respelt, based on poems by Robert Graves, currently in progress for mezzo soprano Edyta Kulczak, (Metropolitan Opera), to be premiered in 2022. Various pieces for the Marc Copland Trio with the award-winning Silesian String Quartet In Celebration of Chopin (Poland). In 2008 Michael was the featured composer for a MOSA concert subscription series in New York. His Line Drawings was premiered on that occasion and appears on James Noye’s 2012 recording Imaginings. Line Drawings, several of his orchestra compositions, Highland County Sketches, Reluctant Spring, and Shenandoah Summer were recently performed by internationally acclaimed clarinet virtuoso Gabor Varga with the Knoxville Smphony and throughout Europe. Recent compositions include Subway Story for woodwind quintet, Catching Light for soprano sax and concert organ, Ave` for flute and piano, and Satya for flute, piano and cello, Samvaad for piano solo, and Five Poems from the Japanese for alto voice, piano, alto flute and harp. His composition Five Scenes from Alphaville was commissioned by the New Third Stream Quartet and premiered at the SaxOpen International Saxophone Conference in Strasbourg, France. His String Quartet No.1 received its premiere by the New Hollywood String Quartet in Los Angeles. Other recording projects include The Music of Cole Porter, featuring Calabria Foti with Eddie Daniel and Bob McChesney, Can’t We Be Friends with Judy Whitmore (Capitol Records), the classical cd’s Beethoven Bookends and Moments Musicaux for pianist An Perry on Parma Records,(producer).Current/recent concert works include Strange Beauty, featuring Miranda Cuckson, 2019 ,the ballet Petricor and Night for Cycropia (an aerial ballet company)2020, Tango Obscura for Clarinet and Orchestra for Eddie Daniels 2021, and a song cycle, Love Respelt, currently in progress for Edyta Kulczak, (Metropolitan Opera), 2022. His most recent CD, Catching Light, scheduled for release , features artists Marc Copland, Sara Caswell, and Gene Bertoncini with string quintet. Education: M.M. Composition, Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media 1980 Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY B.M. Composition, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 1971
Advanced studies: Composition- Felix Labunski, Paul Cooper, Rayburn Wright, Bill Dobbins, Manny Albam, Warren Benson, John Cage, Witold Lutoslawski and Leonard Rosenman- Piano- Marc Copland and Antoinette Perry Grammy Award, Moody 4B Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group - 2010, Michael Patterson, Producer Emmy Award The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: “The Scandal of 1920’s”- Orchestration, Arranging -recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1994 Grammy Nomination Best Latin Jazz Album 2019 “Heart of Brazil” Eddie Daniels – Tribute to Egberto Gismonti , arrangements by Michael Patterson, Ted Nash and others Teaching Experience: New York University, New York, NY Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts Professions, Adjunct Professor in Film Scoring and Composition 2003 –to current New York University: NYU /ASCAP Foundation Film Scoring Workshop in Memory of Buddy Baker, guest faculty artist 2003 consecutively through 2018 – faculty has included Ira Newborn, Sonny Kompanek, David Matthews, and Mark Suozzo and Mark Snow Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY Adjunct Professor in Jazz Composition Arranging and Orchestration –Graduate Courses in Advanced Orchestration, Arranging I-II, Composers Forum
Mannes College of Music, New York, NY Adjunct Professor, Graduate courses in Jazz Composition, Theory and Jazz Piano 2003-2013 California State University Los Angeles, Adjunct Professor in Jazz Composition courses included: Arranging, Orchestration and Business of Music, 1996-1998 Los Angeles County High School for The Arts Located on campus of California State University Los Angeles Lab Director, Composer- In- Residence at The Henry Mancini Electronic Music Lab, 1996-2001 Courses in Electronic media, composition, and arranging. Guest artists included: Donald Buchla, Steve Bramson, Leonard Rosenman, and Osvaldo Golijov. GUEST LECTURES University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Thornton Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, Guest Lecturer, Film Scoring, Orchestration 2002 Academy of Music, (Grazyna Bacewicz Conservatory), Lodz, Poland, Guest Lecturer, Film Scoring, Composition, presentation of film scores and lecture on film and orchestration, Winter 2009 College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio Guest Lecturer, Film Scoring, Composition 2006, 2010, 2014 College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati, Ohio - CCM Summer Film Scoring Institute 2013 Faculty artist invited as one of the composition/orchestration faculty for the initial CCM Film Scoring Institute event, faculty included; Jeff Rona, Jack Smalley and Thomas Haines
Film Motion Pictures Jurij – Indie - Orchestration, conducting-for Leonard Rosenman- recording RAI 2002 Winner, best actor, Giffoni Film Festival, (2001) Radioland Murders- Lucas Film- Composition, orchestration and arrangements- recording MCA 1999 Squanto: A Warriors Tale –Disney- Orchestration- recording Varese Sarabande 1999 Ironwill -Disney- Composition and orchestration- recording Varese Sarabande 1998 Film and Television Emmy Award The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: The Scandal of 1920’s- Orchestration, Arranging -recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1994 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: Attack of the Hawkmen- Composition - recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1996 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: The Phantom Train of Doom- Orchestration, Arranging -recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1997
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: The Meaning of the Blues- Orchestration, Arranging -recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1997 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: The Treasure of the Peacocks Eye- Orchestration, Arranging -recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1998 Tiny Toon Adventures, Warner Bros., Orchestration Five Episodes including Hero Hamton, Acme Cable TV, and Stuff that Goes Bump In The Night 1995-96 Scooby Doo On Zombie Island, Warner Bros., Orchestration, Arranging 1998 Christmas Misdemeanors, Hanna-Barbera., Orchestration, Arranging 1997 Yogi, The Easter Bear, Hanna-Barbera., Orchestration, Arranging 1998 J.A.G. Judge Advocate General, (CBS-TV Series) Five Seasons 1998-2002 over 50 Episodes Orchestration, Arranging Film Commercials for Com/track, Inc., a commercial jingle production house in Chicago, Il Clients included: United Airlines, Sears, McDonalds, State Farm Insurance, Budweiser, Union 76, notable artists collaborated with included: Neil Diamond, Patti Austin, Jennifer Warnes, “Up Where We Belong”- over 300 commercials scored- composition, orchestration, arranging, from 1982- 1986, on staff from 1983-1986
Recent Recordings: In The Still Of The Night Featuring Calabria Foti, Michael Patterson Arranger, Pianist, producer 2017 MOCO Records 4 1⁄2 Stars Jazz Times, Top Ten Jazz CD’s of 2017, Jazz Critique Magazine, 2017 Chamber Music I “Catching Light” Compositions of Michael Patterson, 2022 Moody 4B Grammy Award, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group - 2010, Michael Patterson, Producer James Moody, Kenny Baron, Todd Coolman, Lewis Nash- Michael Patterson, producer- Jazz Times: 2009 Critics’ Picks, top new albums- ipo recordings Inc. 2009 Moody 4A James Moody, Kenny Baron, Todd Coolman, Lewis Nash- Michael Patterson, producer- Jazz Times: 2009 Critics’ Picks, top new albums-, ipo recordings Inc.
Concerti Gene Bertoncini-guitar, David Finck, bass with String Quartet: Mark Feldman, Rob Moose, Kelly Dylia, Dana Leong- Michael Patterson, arranger-conductor- Ambient Recordings, 2008 All Music, review, by Michael G. Nastos Of the many projects the great guitarist Gene Bertoncini has been involved in, the centerpiece of his style has always been focused on thoughtful discourse and romance. And nobody -- nobody -- plays the acoustic six-string nylon instrument better than Bertoncini within a jazz context. What brings Concerti into a different light is not just the addition of a string quartet with the very fine bassist David Finck and conductor Michael Patterson. .......At 13 minutes "Conceirto/Spain" encompasses the most ambitious and conservative selection, easily recognizable and populist, cool and flowing, slow then sped up, interactive and stretched so the musicians can let some improvisation come to the forefront. There's also a waltz of regret "For Chet," an original of Bertoncini assumedly in tribute to Chet Baker, with the strings wafting alongside Finck's bowed bass. A truly exquisite, professionally executed, and solid musical effort, this CD should not be dismissed on any level as simply old hat. Instead it should be embraced for the simple and true organ of beauty it is proud to be. Our Delight- The James Moody, Hank Jones Quartet James Moody, Hank Jones, Todd Coolman, Adam Nussbaum , Michael Patterson, Producer - ipo recordings, 2008 Jazz Times: “But if you wish the wisdom of elders and the hard-won and decades spent mastering the nuances of the music, this CD is a joy”. Homecoming- Eddie Daniels Live at the Iridium Eddie Daniels, Tom Ranier, David Finck, Joe Locke, Joe LaBarbara, Michael Patterson, composer-arranger-producer JazzTimes Critics’ picks 2007
Mean What You Say, Eddie Daniels Quartet featuring Hank Jones Eddie Daniels, Hank Jones, Richard Davis, Kenny Washington Michael Patterson, arranger/producer 2007 ejazznews: “This CD is headed under the laser of countless CD players. This is damn good stuff”. One More: The Music Of Thad Jones- featuring Hank Jones, James Moody, Frank Wess, Jimmy Owens, Bob Brookmeyer and Benny Golson, arranged, conducted and produced by Michael Patterson 2006 Jazz Review: ‘Perhaps the word perfection is seen too often in music reviews. Nevertheless, One More- Music of Thad Jones deserves that honor”. One More: The Summary, The Music of Thad Jones, Vol.2- featuring Hank Jones, James Moody, Frank Wess, Jimmy Owens, John Mosca, Benny Golson, and Eddie Daniels- arranged, conducted and produced by Michael Patterson Downbeat: 4 and1/2 stars, Best CD of 2007 AllAboutJazz: “Buy it, grab it, love it and hold it. Over 650 years of experience are found in this nonet of musicians, and it will take you that long to find something better”.
Performing Ensembles/Organizations Improvisatory Minds Improvisatory minds is a collective of four concert composers Bevan Manson, Ed Neumeister, Michael Patterson, and Gernot Wolfgang, who are active jazz musicians. We present performances of original chamber concert works informed by a jazz perspective, thereby promoting a unique and often neglected facet of the contemporary concert music world. The concerts also feature prominent guest composers such as John Williams, Andre Previn, Billy Childs, Clare Fischer, Vince Mendoza, Paquita D’Rivera and Alan Broadbent. We also promote music through clinics, educational and community outreach. SCL/New York Chapter The Society of Composers and Lyricists, one of two composers selected to be founding members by then SCL President Dan Foliart, 2004 Current steering committee member since 2004- The Patterson - Slonaker Los Angeles Big Band 1991-1994 This 16-piece ensemble, founded by Dave Sonaker and I, was comprised of the top studio players and jazz musicians in Los Angeles. Its members, to name a few, included Rick Baptist, Alex Iles, Bob Sheppard, Steve Huffsteter, Bernie Dressell, Wayne Bergeron and Kim Richmond.
Commissions Artists and ensembles performances of my works include: The London Symphony Orchestra, Eddie Daniels, The American Jazz Philharmonic, The New Hollywood String Quartet, Sara Caswell, The Debussy Trio, Marc Copland, The Silesian Quartet, Antoinette Perry, Bob Sheppard, John Marcellus, The Eastman Trombone Choir, The Righteous Girls, Alex Iles, Bob McChesney, Calabria Foti, Roland Hanna, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Woody Shaw, Chris Vadala, The Utah Symphony, Woody Herman, Rosemary Clooney, Marc Copland, Judy Kang, David Sherr, Bill Kirchner Nonet, Northern Illinois Wind Ensemble, USAF Airmen of Note, Gene Bertoncini, Rick VanMatre, The New Third Stream Quartet, The Midnight Winds, Jim Noyes, The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, NOVUS (Trombone Quartet), The Rochester Philharmonic, Phil Woods, the Ariel Quartet, The Harlem Quartet, Erika Dohi, Miranda Cuckson Notable Performances Memorial Concert for Richard Rodney Bennett, Assistant Conductor 2013 The London Symphony, Eddie Daniels, clarinet, guest artist, 2012 Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra, premiere Middletown Symphony Orchestra, Rick VanMatre, soloist, Carmon DeLeone, conductor 2010 The Music of Michael Patterson Concert, MOSA concerts.org- Chamber Music, compositions 2008 Gil Evans Retrospective: Avery Fischer Hall- adaptations and transcriptions 1983 The New American Jazz Orchestra, Jack Elliott, conductor, premiere of composition for orchestra “A Campo Traviesa” 1983 Woody Shaw with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, Rayburn Wright, conductor- arranger 1979
Publications: Music and the Moving Image, University of Illinois Press, Vol. 6, Number 3, Fall 2013 Article- ‘Elmer Bernstein’s Orchestrators’- Interview of Patrick Russ, Michael Patterson and Ron Sadoff Archive: Leonard Rosenman Papers, NYU Fales Library and Special Collections -facilitated the acquisition of Leonard Rosenman’s concert and film music scores and various writings Awards and Honors: Grammy Award, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group - 2010, “Moody 4-B” Michael Patterson, Producer James Moody, Kenny Baron, Todd Coolman, Lewis Nash- Michael Patterson, producer- Jazz Times: 2009 Critics’ Picks, top new albums- ipo recordings Inc. 2009 Emmy Award The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, LUCASFILM, Episode: “The Scandal of 1920’s”- Orchestration, Arranging -recording, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Varese Sarabande 1994 Grammy Nomination Best Latin Jazz Album 2019 “Heart of Brazil” Eddie Daniels – Tribute to Egberto Gismonti , arrangements by Michael Patterson, Ted Nash and others
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