By Jenifer Howard
In my household, it’s not “officially” the holidays until we hear Rob Mathes sing at his annual Holiday Concert! Rob Mathes and his musical magic have been part of my family’s holiday traditions for almost 20 years. After a hiatus, first due to Rob’s busy schedule and taking a break after his big anniversary concert with guests Sting, David Sanborn and Vanessa Williams, then two years impacted by the pandemic, Rob will be back on stage performing two live concerts, Friday, December 16, and Saturday, December 17, 2022, at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. I can’t wait!
Full disclosure, I work with Rob behind the scenes on these concerts. The concert’s role in my family’s holiday traditions however, has become the centerpiece our holiday season. My now grown children happily come home for the concert, bringing significant others or friends. My parents have traveled across the country to join us. It’s also a time to reconnect with dear friends who all share their love for Rob, his amazing band, choir and together ring in the holidays.
The New York Times has said the Rob Mathes Holiday Concert, “Puts a new spin on Christmas classics.” Sting has called Rob Mathes “my lion;” Bruce Springsteen recently coined Rob his “secret weapon,” and Vanessa Williams lovingly refers to Rob Mathes as “Mr. Christmas.” With an impressive and extensive list of credits to his name, those new to the area may not realize that Rob Mathes, a Greenwich resident, is the man behind so much of the music we all love.
In October, Rob made his debut conducting the New York Philharmonic orchestra for the opening of the new David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Joining Rob on stage for the opening night’s performance were Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton, Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, Renée Fleming, Brian Stokes Mitchel, Joaquina Kalukango, Bernadette Peters, Vanessa Williams and the Juilliard School Preparatory Division Chorus. Rob also recently worked with Bruce Springsteen, arranging strings and horns on his newest album Only the Strong Survive; he orchestrated Panic at the Disco’s new record Viva Las Vengeance, and worked with Sting and Shaggy on their new album titled Com Fly Wid Mi, a compilation of the Frank Sinatra songbook sung in reggae style.
Rob Mathes’ credits are many and varied including orchestrations for Scarypoolparty’s debut album, arranging and conducting the orchestra for Weezer’s album OK Human and conducting a live performance of it with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; orchestrating the songs for Lin Manuel Miranda’s film In The Heights, and also Lin’s directorial debut Tick, Tick, Boom, written by Jonathan Larson, composer of Rent. Rob worked closely with Hamilton’s music producer Alex Lacamoire on both projects, and worked on Spaces, a new album by artist Pete Muller. In September 2020, Rob musically directed the first in-person show since the start of the pandemic, performed at the Kennedy Center, featuring Renée Fleming and Vanessa Williams. He won an Emmy for his long-time musical direction of the Kennedy Center Honors and was nominated for a Tony for his work on Sting’s The Last Ship. Over the years, Rob has written orchestrations for a number of artists all over the stylistic spectrum, including Elton John, Tony Bennett, Lou Reed, Mavis Staples, Jay Z, Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige, Beck, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Harry Connick Jr., Fall Out Boy, and worked with classical artists such as Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel, Deborah Voigt and Yo-Yo Ma. His arrangement of the Star-Spangled Banner for the 2013 Super Bowl for Renée Fleming and the New Jersey Symphony was published by Hal Leonard; his arrangement of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven for the band Heart (Ann and Nancy Wilson), performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, led to him being asked by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to testify at the trial over the song’s publishing rights, which they won.
This year’s Rob Mathes Holiday Concerts benefit the nonprofit Food Rescue US – Fairfield County, and their incredible work tackling food insecurity our community. So come “Ring them Bells” as Rob Mathes (and Bob Dylan) sing and have the Rob Mathes Holiday Concert be a part of your holiday tradition too. Tickets are available at artscenter.org and VIP seats with a meet-and-greet with Rob and the band are available through Food Rescue US – Fairfield County at foodrescue.us.
