Paterson's music has been on the Grammy ballot for the past six seasons, and his works have appeared on National Public Radio’s Best of the Year lists for classical music and regularly appear on radio playlists across the United States. Paterson’s music has been performed by over one hundred outstanding ensembles, including Nashville Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, American Modern Orchestra, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Symphony, Austin Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra., and American Modern Ensemble. Recent commissions include works for Albany Symphony, Eastman Wind Ensemble, and the New York Choral Consortium. Paterson’s debut choral album, Eternal Reflections, was released by Musica Sacra and Maestro Kent Tritle in 2015. Paterson has received awards for his works in virtually every classical genre. Awards include the A.I. duPont Composer’s Award from the Delaware Symphony, a three-year Music Alive grant from the League of American Orchestras and New Music USA, and the American Composers Forum Jerome Composers Commissioning Program. In 2005, Paterson founded American Modern Ensemble (AME), and he serves as AME’s Artistic Director and House Composer. In 2018, Paterson co-founded the Mostly Modern Festival (MMF), an annual, three-week summer music festival that highlights contemporary music, and which takes place at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.