Gaylon McKay Patterson - Violin

Gaylon McKay Patterson is Principal Second Violin in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. He began learning to play in the public schools in his hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continued his education at Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Memphis.

Gaylon believes that art is a joyful and necessary component of civilization, and is devoted to promoting equal opportunity, access, and inclusion in the arts for everyone at every age. At MSO, he co-created the Leading From Every Chair corporate leadership development workshops, the Opus One concert series exploring cross-genre and cross-cultural connections, and the Family Tunes and Tales program fostering literacy and musical engagement for young children, in collaboration with Memphis Public Libraries.

Off stage, Gaylon enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, getting dirty in the garden, learning about architecture, and exploring the natural world. He spends his summers hiking in the Adirondacks, between concerts with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.