Biography
Alex Patterson is a Northern Irish composer who is now based in Nottingham, where he is composer-in-residence at St Barnabas Cathedral and musical director for the Radcliffe Ladies Choir.
He has been described as a major creative talent (Nottingham Evening Post) within the city of Nottingham, where he has also worked for Arts Council England, UK Young Artists, Music for Everyone and Lakeside Arts Centre.
He is currently studying postgraduate composition at Birmingham Conservatoire with Ed Bennett and Howard Skempton.
Born in Downpatrick on 3 June 1988, Alex grew up on a farm nestled in the Mourne Mountains in the County Down countryside and has since regarded this setting as a huge inspiration to his music. His first compositions came in the form of short anthems for his parish church choir in Bryansford (where he was the local amateur organist) and also three Christmas carols, premiered at Down Cathedral by the Down High School Chamber Choir, of which he was also a member. His interest in choral singing led him to later sing with the acclaimed Ulster Youth Choir.
In 2006, Alex began studying at the University of Nottingham, where he became an active figure in the bustling music department. During his time there, he conducted various ensembles including Coro Sorelle, and was a member of the university chamber choir, Viva Voce. He was also the musical director for the university's Gilbert & Sullivan Society, conducting their 2009 production of Ruddigore and also the first musical director for the universitys multi award winning opera society, OpSoc, and lead the society in their semi-staged production of Mozart's The Magic Flute in June 2010.
Whilst studying at the university, Alex was also given a choral scholarship at St Barnabas Cathedral and has toured with Schola Cantorum to Rome, Tuscany and Hong Kong and also recorded two CDs: Cantate Domino & Miserere Mei. He was named composer-in-residence for the cathedral in May 2009 and continues to sing tenor there regularly.
Since graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2009, Alex has been in demand as a conductor and composer, receiving various commissions from the East of England Singers, the Radcliffe Male Voice Choir and the Ripley Music Festival. In January 2011, Alex recorded a CD of his choral music at St Barnabas featuring the Schola Cantorum which was launched during a 'Big Weekend' of his music in late May 2011.
Recent works have included 'The Good-Night', a commission for Viva Voce and first performed by them in a VIP Concert presented at Lakeside Arts Centre as part of the preview for the Lowry exhibition currently running there. His recent opera, Entr'acte, was hailed a 'triumph' and described as 'a witty and entertaining work' when it premiered in November 2011.
He has been described as a major creative talent (Nottingham Evening Post) within the city of Nottingham, where he has also worked for Arts Council England, UK Young Artists, Music for Everyone and Lakeside Arts Centre.
He is currently studying postgraduate composition at Birmingham Conservatoire with Ed Bennett and Howard Skempton.
Born in Downpatrick on 3 June 1988, Alex grew up on a farm nestled in the Mourne Mountains in the County Down countryside and has since regarded this setting as a huge inspiration to his music. His first compositions came in the form of short anthems for his parish church choir in Bryansford (where he was the local amateur organist) and also three Christmas carols, premiered at Down Cathedral by the Down High School Chamber Choir, of which he was also a member. His interest in choral singing led him to later sing with the acclaimed Ulster Youth Choir.
In 2006, Alex began studying at the University of Nottingham, where he became an active figure in the bustling music department. During his time there, he conducted various ensembles including Coro Sorelle, and was a member of the university chamber choir, Viva Voce. He was also the musical director for the university's Gilbert & Sullivan Society, conducting their 2009 production of Ruddigore and also the first musical director for the universitys multi award winning opera society, OpSoc, and lead the society in their semi-staged production of Mozart's The Magic Flute in June 2010.
Whilst studying at the university, Alex was also given a choral scholarship at St Barnabas Cathedral and has toured with Schola Cantorum to Rome, Tuscany and Hong Kong and also recorded two CDs: Cantate Domino & Miserere Mei. He was named composer-in-residence for the cathedral in May 2009 and continues to sing tenor there regularly.
Since graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2009, Alex has been in demand as a conductor and composer, receiving various commissions from the East of England Singers, the Radcliffe Male Voice Choir and the Ripley Music Festival. In January 2011, Alex recorded a CD of his choral music at St Barnabas featuring the Schola Cantorum which was launched during a 'Big Weekend' of his music in late May 2011.
Recent works have included 'The Good-Night', a commission for Viva Voce and first performed by them in a VIP Concert presented at Lakeside Arts Centre as part of the preview for the Lowry exhibition currently running there. His recent opera, Entr'acte, was hailed a 'triumph' and described as 'a witty and entertaining work' when it premiered in November 2011.
