Conductor

Michael Patterson

Music Director & Conductor

Joining us for his inaugural season after conducting our May 2025 concert, Michael Patterson is a Puerto Rican-American conductor, pianist, and composer known for his dynamic musicianship and community-driven spirit. His conducting journey began at age eighteen when he founded the PianoForte Symphony Orchestra in Southern California, leading it from 2009 to 2014 with a mission to bring meaningful musical experiences to local audiences.

He currently serves as Associate Music Director of Queen City Opera and is completing his doctorate in orchestral conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he studies under the mentorship of Mark Gibson.

Patterson has conducted a wide array of ensembles both locally and internationally, including the Filarmonica de Stat Târgu Mureș, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, The Orchestra Now, Apollo Orchestra, Barclay Brass, Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, and members of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, earning praise for his “dramatic subtlety and musical finesse” (The Millbrook Independent).

He has earned a conducting degree from Bard College Conservatory of Music, studying with esteemed mentors including Harold Farberman, Leon Botstein, James Bagwell, and Joan Tower, and has also worked closely with Gary Thor Wedow, Neil Varon, Kirill Kuzmin, and Edward Carroll.

An active composer and member of the Millennium Composers Initiative, Patterson has written over forty works that have been performed throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.

Michael lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Vivian, and their two cats, Luna and Suki. He’s thrilled to be making music with the wonderful musicians of the Seven Hills Symphony.