Biography
Peter Matz (November 6, 1928 – August 9, 2002) was an American musician, composer, arranger and conductor. His musical career in film, theater, television and studio recording spanned fifty years, and he worked with a number of prominent artists, including Marlene Dietrich, Noël Coward and Barbra Streisand. Matz won three Emmys and a Grammy Award and is best known for his work on Streisand's early albums as well as for his work as the orchestral conductor and musical director for The Carol Burnett Show. Peter Matz was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 6, 1928, to Louis N. Matz and Alice (née Krieger) Matz. He studied Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, but after playing woodwinds in local dance bands to support himself, he soon realised that music was his real vocation.
After graduating Matz spent two years in Paris studying piano and music theory. In 1954, he returned to New York and acquired a job as a rehearsal pianist for Harold Arlen and Truman Capote's Broadway musical House of Flowers. Recognizing Matz's talent, Arlen broadened his scope, and Matz arranged and conducted the music for several of the show's dance sequences. Later, Arlen commissioned Matz to write the vocal, dance music and orchestration arrangements for his musical, Jamaica. Impressed with Matz, Arlen began recommending him to others, including cabaret artist Marlene Dietrich.In 1955, Dietrich recommended Matz to Noël Coward when the English playwright, actor and singer was scheduled to perform in Las Vegas, but without his accompanist Norman Hackforth who had been denied a US work permit. Coward was impressed with Matz and described him as "quick, intelligent and a fine pianist". Matz went on to work with Coward on his albums, television specials and his musical Sail Away. In 1962, Matz was Musical Director for Richard Rodgers's Broadway musical No Strings, for which he received a Tony nomination.In 1958, Matz married (Dolores) Janet Perry, with whom he had two children: Peter Zachary Matz and Jonas Christopher Matz; they were married 20 years. In 1981, Matz married Marilyn Lovell Matz, an actress and eventual AIDS activist. The couple remained together until Matz's death in 2002.In the early 1960s, Matz began working with Barbra Streisand on her first album, which won several Grammy Awards and brought her stardom. He continued arranging and conducting on her next four albums and won a Grammy Award himself for her 1964 album, People. Later, Matz won an Emmy Award for her 1965 television special My Name Is Barbra, and an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for her 1975 film Funny Lady. He won two more Emmys, for an episode of the TV series, Kraft Music Hall, and for an episode of The Carol Burnett Show. Matz was musical director for The Carol Burnett Show for eight seasons. Matz was the orchestra leader on Hullabaloo from January 1965 to August 1966. He served as both conductor and arranger for the Burt Bacharach and Hal David musical On the Flip Side (1966) which starred Ricky Nelson and Joanie Sommers.Over the years, Matz worked with a number of prominent artists, including Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, k.d. lang, Bette Midler, Rosemary Clooney, Liza Minnelli, Elaine Paige, Chicago, Dolly Parton, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick. He also composed music for a number of films and television series. Toward the end of his career, Matz and his wife, singer Marilynn Lovell, gave a series of benefit concerts in Los Angeles for people with HIV/AIDS, for which he received a Special Los Angeles City Council Award. In mid-2002 he finished his last work, the arrangements for the Symphony Pop Production My Paris for singer Tony Sandler.
Matz died of lung cancer on August 9, 2002. A memorial concert in his honor was held at the University of California, Los Angeles, on November 25, 2002 and featured, among others, Carol Burnett and Burt Bacharach.
Filmography
all 76
Movies 72
TV Shows 4
Director 3
Babes in Toyland (1997)
This Can't Be Love (1994)
Stepping Out (1991)
The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic (1991)
The 10 Million Dollar Getaway (1991)
The Gumshoe Kid (1990)
When We Were Young (1989)
Plain Clothes (1988)
Laura Lansing Slept Here (1988)
Plaza Suite (1987)
Stone Fox (1987)
Mercy or Murder? (1987)
As Is (1986)
Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986)
Lust in the Dust (1985)
Burnett Discovers Domingo (1984)
The 1st Annual NBC Yummy Awards (1983)
George Burns and Other Sex Symbols (1982)
Take Your Best Shot (1982)
Drop-Out Father (1982)
Baryshnikov in Hollywood (1982)
Eunice (1982)
Doug Henning's World of Magic (1982)
Crazy Times (1981)
The Killing of Randy Webster (1981)
Damien: The Leper Priest (1980)
Fun and Games (1980)
The Private Eyes (1980)
White Mama (1980)
Valentine Magic on Love Island (1980)
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979)
Love for Rent (1979)
The Prize Fighter (1979)
The Tenth Month (1979)
Can You Hear the Laughter? The Freddie Prinze Story (1979)
The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979)
Dolly and Carol in Nashville (1979)
First, You Cry (1978)
The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank (1978)
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (1978)
Happily Ever After (1978)
Murder at the Mardi Gras (1978)
The Two-Five (1978)
Special Olympics (1978)
Doug Henning's World of Magic (1977)
The Last Hurrah (1977)
Telethon (1977)
The Love Boat (1977)
Terraces (1977)
Rosetti and Ryan: Men Who Love Women (1977)
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years (1976)
The Great Houdinis (1976)
Just an Old Sweet Song (1976)
The Call of the Wild (1976)
The Dark Side of Innocence (1976)
Burt Bacharach in Shangri-La (1976)
Doug Henning's World of Magic (1975)
Funny Lady (1975)
Funny Girl to Funny Lady (1975)
Twigs (1975)
In This House of Brede (1975)
Larry (1974)
6 RMS RIV VU (1974)
I Heard the Owl Call My Name (1973)
Acts of Love and Other Comedies (1973)
Once Upon a Mattress (1972)
Rivals (1972)
Singer Presents Burt Bacharach (1971)
Marlowe (1969)
Bye Bye Braverman (1968)
The Carol Burnett Show (1967)
Color Me Barbra (1966)
My Name Is Barbra (1965)
Judy and Liza at the Palladium (1964)
In This House of Brede
Ratings
Information
Known ForSound
GenderMale
Birthday1928-11-06
Deathday2002-08-09 (73 years old)
Birth PlacePittsburgh, United States of America
RelationshipsMarilyn Lovell Matz (1981-01-01 - 2002-08-09)
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
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