Rob Mathes. Contributed Photo
Celebrate the holidays this year with Grammy and Emmy award-winning musician Rob Mathes at his annual holiday concert.
Mr. Mathes and his all-star band will showcase their holiday musical magic with two concerts Friday, December 16, and Saturday, December 17, at 8:00 p.m.
The lively holiday shows will take place in the Pepsico Theatre at The SUNY Purchase performing arts center, located at 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York 10577.
The Holiday Concert is a tradition for many and features original tunes, holiday classics and Mathes’ favorites.
Band members include world renowned Will Lee on bass, blues guitarist Billy Masters, Sting’s drummer Joe Bonadio, Rick Knutsen on keyboards, and award-winning vocalists James “D-Train” Williams and Vaneese Thomas. Rob’s six-piece horn section has played with everyone from Aretha to Paul Simon to Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
“The holidays are my favorite time of year,” said Mathes. “To be able to return home every December and perform with the best musicians in the industry for our dedicated fans is truly a gift. I look forward to this special tradition as much as anything in my year.”
For tickets call Tel. 914-251-6200 or click https://tickets.artscenter.org
SUNY Purchase is located at 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577
The PAC acknowledges with great appreciation major funders and sponsors: The Vivian and Seymour Milstein Endowed Fund, ArtsWestchester, Steinway & Sons, Tanaka Memorial Foundation, Westchester Magazine, The Frog Rock Foundation, Peckham Family Foundation, Bee Steinhaus Memorial Arts-in-Education Fund, and Zisson Foundation, Inc.
Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk award-winning musician, Rob Mathes has spent the past year on a variety of diverse projects with inspiring artists.
Last winter, Rob musically directed three concerts at Carnegie Hall and worked with artists that included: Katy Perry, Jim James, Angelique Kidjo, Sting and Bono and worked on Bono’s 10th Anniversary RED charity concert with Bono, The Edge, Miley Cirus, Hozier, Jessie J and others at Carnegie Hall.
Earlier this year, Rob served as the chief music expert on the much publicized Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven plagiarism trial, where Rob worked closely with both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and was instrumental in the court’s ruling in favor of Led Zeppelin. After his testimony, he was told that, “he’d just “won the case” by the defense and they were right.”
Rob was also busy throughout the year writing charts for The Boston Pops, including a big version of Prince’s Purple Rain that one of Rob’s band members and favorite gospel singers, James “D-Train” Williams premiered at Symphony Hall in Boston in May, receiving an instant standing ovation.
Rob’s own music has received critical acclaim. Two of his annual holiday concerts were filmed and became PBS specials that aired for several years. Evening Train, a rhythm and blues album, has been beloved by everyone from Carly Simon, to Sting, to Warren Zevon, to Bonnie Raitt. Other albums equally treasured are: Orchestral Songs, Flesh and Spirit, his newly released Wheelbarrow, Let the Children Come, William the Angel and Christmas is Coming. The late Jimmy Webb wrote, “If you don’t want to be challenged in that deepest part of you, where your artistic breath originates. If you are a songwriter and you don’t want to play poker with the fastest gun in town, just calmly put the disc away and live in a world less breathtaking and exhilarating.
For additional information on Rob Mathes, visit robmathesmusic.com, on Facebook, or follow on Twittr @robmathesmusic.
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