Ronald Patterson

Ronald Patterson teaches violin, chamber music, orchestral repertoire, and pedagogy.

A student of Jascha Heifetz, Eudice Shapiro and Manuel Compinsky, Patterson has concertized extensively in the United States and Europe since the age of 11, performing 45 works (including six world premieres) in more than 150 solo performances with orchestra. He has been acclaimed for his "skill, authority and imagination" by the New York Times. From 1965 to 1999, Patterson was concertmaster of the Monte-Carlo, Houston, Denver, and Miami symphonies, St. Louis Little Symphony, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

He was a founder and Associate Professor of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University (Houston, 1974-1979) and Assistant Professor at Washington University (St. Louis, 1967-1971), as well as on the faculty of Stetson University (Florida, 1975-1979), MacMurray College (Illinois, 1966) and the University of Miami (Florida, 1965).

Patterson has recorded for CRI, ERATO, ORION, VOX, Ante Aeternum, Virgin Classics, Serenus, Philips, and EMI. A five-time First Prize Winner of the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, he has performed chamber music with some of the greatest musicians of our day, including Heifetz, Piatigorsky, and Szeryng. In 1998 he was named Officier de l'Ordre du Merite Culturel, one of the Principality of Monaco's highest honors.

Many compositions have been recorded by and written for Patterson and his violist wife, Roxanna, as "Duo Patterson." Czech Mates is their latest CD, featuring works by 19th and 20th Century Czechoslavakian composers.

Patterson is first violin of the Rainier String Quartet and concertmaster of the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, the resident quartet of the Santa Barbara Chamber Music Festival.