Clarinetist Terrance L. Patterson founded the Ritz Chamber Players in Jacksonville in 2002 with a conviction that has guided the institution ever since: Black classical artists and the repertoire of the African diaspora belong within the living center of the tradition. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, Patterson has built RCP as both an artistic platform and a civic institution, bringing distinguished musicians together, commissioning new work, widening access, and shaping programs in which artistry, history, and public purpose strengthen one another.
With RCP, he is the founder and artistic architect of 25 seasons, curator of the Silver Jubilee, co-creator of Free At Last? The Evolution of the American Spiritual, and clarinetist in performances, premieres, and collaborations across the organization's history.
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