The Rob
Mathes Holiday Concert, a holiday
tradition for so many, is celebrating an
amazing 30 years of performing its annual
holiday extravaganza this year with three
concerts at The Performing Arts Center at
Purchase College. Concerts are Friday,
December 15, and Saturday, December 16, at
8:00 p.m., and a special matinee performance
on Sunday, December 17, at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at artscenter.org, and
VIP seating in the first two rows of the
orchestra are available through the
concert’s nonprofit beneficiary, Food
Rescue US - Fairfield County at bit.ly/3PTsUSF or foodrescue.us/site/food-rescue-us-fairfield-county/.
Rob Mathes is
an Emmy award-winning and Grammy-nominated
musician who is a Greenwich, Connecticut
resident. Rob is typically the genius behind
the curtain, producing albums,
orchestrating, and being a sought-after
music director. However, his annual holiday
concert, a cherished holiday tradition in
the New York City/Connecticut area for 30
years, is when he shines on center stage,
much to the joy of his ardent fans.
This year's
concerts hold a special place in Rob's
heart. They are dedicated to Rabbi Mark
Golub, a long-time supporter and cherished
fan of the concerts who sadly passed away
this year from cancer. Rabbi Golub's passion
and enthusiasm for the concerts have left an
indelible mark with his friendship and
guidance to Rob over the years, and also
inspired several Hanukkah-themed songs
performed at the annual Holiday Concert that
have become audience favorites.
“Rabbi Mark
Golub was one of my musical muses when it
came to including a bit of the Jewish faith
into what started out as a fairly
traditional Christmas Concert — and he was
one of the reasons why we called it a
Holiday Concert,” said Rob Mathes. “Rabbi
Mark Golub attended every year, and
encouraged us to play long into the night. I
sat down with him on numerous occasions and
those conversations were the inspiration for
some of my strongest songs of recent years.
The Hanukkah songs I wrote in tribute to him
include Light in the Window and Too Many
Stars, which we’ll perform this year.”
“This year’s
concerts will be extra special,” noted Rob
Mathes, who has had a busy year beginning in
January with Sting and The Pittsburgh
Symphony, then arranging strings for Bruce
Springsteen, and a performance with Elvis
Costello at the Gramercy. He is just
finishing a year-long project, producing
Melissa Errico's sequel to her critically
acclaimed Sondheim Sublime record (picked by
the New York Times as one of the 10 records
to listen to in the wake of Sondheim's
passing). Called Sondheim In The City,
it features some of New York's finest
musicians and will be out in early 2024. Rob
is also gearing up to musically direct the
2024 MusiCares Person
of the Year, the benefit gala held in
Los Angeles GRAMMY week, this year honoring
Jon Bon Jovi.
Rob Mathes
and his Holiday Concerts are renowned for
their unique take on holiday classics. The
performances promise a blend of Rob's
introspective singer-songwriter pop, with
strong jazz and blues overtones, featuring
original Rob Mathes holiday songs and
classics with a signature Mathes twist.
Joining Rob on stage is his all-star band,
which includes Will Lee on bass, Billy
Masters on guitar, Gunnar Olson on drums,
Rick Knutsen on keyboard, and the incredible
horn section with Jeff Kievit, Tony Kadleck,
Andy Snitzer, Aaron Heick, Mike Davis, and
Jeff Nelson. R&B singers James "D Train"
Williams and Vaneese Thomas are also fan
favorites at the concerts, and of course,
there is the Choir of Saints & Friends, that
bring the spirit of the holiday season to
many of the songs.
“It’s hard to
believe I’ve been putting on my Holiday
Concerts for 30 years,” exclaimed Rob Mathes.
“We started this at a church on a hill in
Greenwich in 1993 and it has grown to become
a holiday tradition for so many, and for
that, I am eternally grateful.”
Rob Mathes
added, “The Performing Arts Center has
become my ‘home away from home’ and I love
coming back and taking the stage there.”
In the spirit
of giving, the Rob Mathes Holiday Concerts
will once again, for the fourth year,
support Food Rescue US - Fairfield County, a
nonprofit organization that fights hunger
and helps the planet.
The
Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
(The PAC), is a four theatre complex located
on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, and
is the major professional, nonprofit arts
presenter in the southeastern New York and
southwestern Connecticut region. For more
than 40 years, The PAC has been the hub of a
creative community that brings together
internally acclaimed artists and rising
stars, creative practitioners, civic and
academic leaders, community activists, and
an inspirational array of loyal volunteers
and friends who recognize the power of
investing in the performing arts to spark
creativity and connection. To learn more
about The PAC, visit artscenter.org or
on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X)
@purchasepac.
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Notable
quotes about Rob Mathes:
“Rob Mathes, is as I call
him ‘my lion.’ He’s an extraordinary
musician, piano player, guitar player, an
arranger, with an incredible knowledge of
music and a deep understanding of my music -
and puts himself completely at service of
the music, no ego at all, and I trust him
implicitly.” - Sting
Bruce Springsteen called Rob Mathes his “secret
weapon” on his contributions to
Springsteen’s latest album Only the
Strong Survive.
Vanessa Williams lovingly refers to Rob
Mathes as “Mr. Christmas,” as the two
have collaborated on several holiday
Christmas albums.
Photo credit for
this image: Mark Most Photography.