Merlin Patterson

Merlin Patterson

Merlin Patterson received his degrees from Sam Houston State University where his principal teachers were Newton Strandberg, Fisher Tull, and Ralph Mills. In addition to several original works, Patterson has written numerous transcriptions for symphonic band / wind ensemble, several of which were commissioned by the University of Houston Wind Ensemble, Eddie Green, conductor. Among his transcriptions are Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and The Firebird Suite (1919), Debussy's The Engulfed Cathedral, Janacek's Sinfonietta, and Pucinni's Love Scene, from La Boheme, as well as works by Bach, Holst, and Wagner. He has specialized in the works of Aaron Copeland, having made band transcriptions of Appalachian Spring, Letter from Home, and Down a Country Lane, the latter receiving praise from the composer as "a careful, sensitive, and most satisfying extension of the mood and content of the original." His works have received critical acclaim and have been performed by leading professional organizations, including the United States Marine Band, the United States Air Force Band, and the Dallas Wind Symphony, as well as by major university ensembles across the United States and around the world. Compact disk recordings of Pattersonís transcriptions, performed by the University of Houston Wind Ensemble, Eddie Green, conductor, are available from TRN and Mark Records.