The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester dedicates its two-day In Focus festival to Paul Patterson, who will be celebrating his 70th birthday on 15 June 2017.

Patterson – who was influenced by Penderecki and Lutosławski and taught by Richard Rodney Bennett at the Royal Academy of Music – has long been at the forefront of new music, his output includes everything from aleatoricism to simple sacred music.

As part of the festival in Manchester, ten pieces that span five decades of composition will be performed to celebrate his 70th birthday. Among the works performed are the UE works At the Still Point of the Turning World for ensemble, The Sorriest Cow of Capricorn for soprano and pianoand Mean Time for brass quintet.

The music of Paul Patterson will also be heavily featured at the 13th World Harp Congress in Hong Kong in July 2017. Patterson is the festival’s featured composer and will be conducting a masterclass and giving a lecture on his music.

View the full programme of In Focus: Paul Patterson