“The duo plays inviting tuneful music with full-bodied expression that will enchant both lovers of classical chamber music and casual listeners.”

-Fanfair Magazine

Praised by BBC Music Magazine for their “beguiling” sound and by The Strad for their "wit and imagination," the Patterson/Sutton Duo—cellist Dr. Kimberly Patterson and guitarist Dr. Patrick Sutton—has captivated audiences across the United States and internationally. As Juilliard Global Visiting Artists, they maintain an ongoing relationship with The Juilliard School, combining performance with a commitment to global music education.

The duo's critically acclaimed studio albums—Cold Dark Matter and Still Life: Collected Music for Cello and Guitar by Stephen Goss—have received widespread international radio play, including features on NPR’s Performance Today, Classical Guitar Alive, and curated playlists on Apple Classical Music. Championing the expansion of the cello and guitar repertoire, the duo regularly commissions new works and shares their research through lecture-recitals at major academic conferences, including the Guitar Foundation of America Convention, the Dublin Guitar Symposium, and the International Guitar Research Centre Conference in the UK. Their work has also been featured in a cover article for Soundboard Magazine. Their most recent commission, Still Life by Stephen Goss, was nominated for a 2021 Ivor Novello Award, the UK’s most prestigious prize for contemporary music.

Recent concert appearances include the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America Convention, New York City Classical Guitar Society, Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, New Mexico Guitar Festival, Florida Guitar Foundation, Louisville Guitar Society, Portland International Guitar Series, Minnesota Guitar Society’s International Guitar Artist Series, University of Colorado International Guitar Festival, Knoxville Guitar Society, Saigon Guitar Series in Vietnam, Shanghai Conservatory in China, Princeton Symphony Chamber Music Series, Denver Friends of Chamber Music, Placitas Artist Series, and the Strings Music Festival, among others.

Dedicated educators and cultural ambassadors, the Patterson/Sutton Duo were guest artists at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, where they taught and performed under the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department. Through The Juilliard School’s Nord Anglia global initiative, they have brought their artistry and teaching to schools in Bratislava, Budapest, Dublin, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and New York City.

Dr. Kimberly Patterson holds degrees from the Juilliard School, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently Associate Professor of Cello and Associate Directer at the University of Memphis. Dr. Patrick Sutton holds degrees from the University of Denver and the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is Assistant Professor of Practice and Head of the Guitar Department at the University of Memphis. The duo became husband and wife in June of 2017.

Cello - Kimberly Patterson

Guitar - Patrick Sutton