Gaylon Patterson joined the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in 1985, and is currently assistant principal second violin. He is very active at the MSO in strategic planning and in developing community engagement initiatives, especially the Symphony’s new partnership with FedEx, in which leadership training needs are met through direct artistic engagement.
As a performing artist, Patterson is regularly featured at the Memphis Chamber Music Society. He is a former member of the Ceruti Quartet, and has taught violin and chamber music at the University of Memphis and the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts.
Patterson was MSO delegate to the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association, and was on ROPA's executive board, and locally has served on countless committees with musicians, staff, and board. Patterson's day jobs before becoming a full-time musician ranged from retail sales through cotton marketing to ag-chem research, in keeping with his diverse educational background.