Peter Matz

Peter Matz (November 6, 1928 – August 9, 2002) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, and musical director renowned for his contributions to Broadway theater, film scores, and television specials over a 50-year career.^[1][2] Best known for his close collaborations with performers such as Barbra Streisand and Carol Burnett, Matz arranged and conducted Streisand's first five albums, including the Grammy-winning People (1964), and served as musical director for Emmy-winning specials like My Name Is Barbra (1965) and The Carol Burnett Show (1971–1978).^[3][2] His work also extended to Broadway productions like No Strings (1962) and Grand Hotel (1989), as well as films such as Funny Lady (1975), for which he received an Academy Award nomination.^[1][3] Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Louis N. Matz and Alice Krieger Matz, he initially pursued a degree in chemical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), while playing woodwinds in dance bands during his college years.^[2][3] After graduating, Matz studied music in Paris for two years before launching his professional career in the 1950s as an arranger and conductor for theater and variety shows.^[2][3] Early Broadway credits included House of Flowers (1954) and Sail Away (1961–1962), where he honed his skills in orchestration and musical direction.^[1] Matz's television work was prolific, encompassing over 140 movies and specials, where he collaborated with icons including Burt Bacharach, Lena Horne, Noel Coward, Peggy Lee, Bing Crosby, Liza Minnelli, and Tony Bennett.^[2][3] He earned three Primetime Emmy Awards—for My Name Is Barbra (1965), a Burt Bacharach special (1970), and The Carol Burnett Show (1973)—along with more than 10 additional nominations, a Grammy for People, a Clio Award for a 1965 Lena Horne commercial, and two Tony Award nominations, including one for No Strings (1962).^[2][1] In film, beyond Funny Lady, he composed scores for Torch Song Trilogy (1988) and The Gum Shoe Kid.^[3] In his later years, Matz was married to singer Marilynn Lovell from 1987 until his death, following a previous marriage to Janet Perry (1960–1978) with whom he had two sons, P. Zachary and Jonas C.^[2][1] A Democrat and member of the Jewish faith, he actively raised funds for AIDS care through benefit concerts with his wife.^[1][3] Matz passed away in Los Angeles at age 73, leaving a legacy as one of the foremost musical talents in American entertainment.^[2]

Early Life and Education

Birth and Family Background

Peter Matz was born on November 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[1][4] He was the son of Louis N. Matz and Alice (née Krieger) Matz.^[1] Matz's early years unfolded amid the Great Depression, a time of widespread economic challenges that affected families across the United States, including those in industrial cities like Pittsburgh.

Initial Musical Interests

Born in Pittsburgh to a supportive family, Peter Matz initially pursued a career in science, enrolling at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to study chemical engineering in the late 1940s.^[2][5] Despite his academic focus, Matz's passion for music emerged during this period, as he began playing woodwind instruments in local dance bands to support himself financially while attending college.^[2][6] These early performances exposed him to the rhythms and arrangements of popular dance music, which contrasted sharply with his engineering coursework and highlighted his growing affinity for the performing arts.^[7] Matz later reflected on his UCLA years as a "terrible, misguided youth," joking that he discovered more "chemistry" in music than in his degree field.^[2][6] This realization prompted a pivotal career shift upon graduating in the early 1950s, leading him to abandon engineering entirely in favor of immersive musical pursuits.^[5] His hands-on experiences with woodwinds in college dance ensembles served as the foundation for this transition, fostering practical skills in ensemble playing and improvisation that would define his later professional path.^[7]

Formal Studies and Training

After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in chemical engineering in the early 1950s, Peter Matz shifted his focus to formal musical training, leveraging his prior informal experiences playing woodwinds in local dance bands during college to pursue a professional path in music.^[2][6] This transition marked a deliberate pivot from his engineering background, as Matz later described his UCLA years as a "terrible, misguided youth" overshadowed by his growing passion for music.^[2] In 1952, Matz relocated to Paris, where he spent two years immersed in intensive studies of piano and music theory, absorbing the city's vibrant musical environment and classical influences that honed his technical skills in harmony, composition, and arrangement basics.^[2][6][8] These studies provided the structured foundation absent from his self-taught band work, bridging his analytical engineering mindset—emphasizing precision and problem-solving—with the creative demands of musical orchestration and performance.^[4][9] By 1954, Matz returned to the United States, equipped with this European training to prepare for entry into the professional music industry, setting the stage for his subsequent career without immediate application of those skills in paid roles.^[8]

Professional Career

Entry into Theater and Early Roles

Peter Matz's entry into the professional theater world began shortly after his arrival in New York City in 1954, following two years of musical studies in Paris that honed his piano and theory skills. His first significant opportunity came as rehearsal pianist for the Broadway musical House of Flowers, composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Truman Capote and book by Arlen, Capote, and Harold Martin. The production, which opened on December 30, 1954, at the Alvin Theatre, also saw Matz contributing dance and vocal arrangements, marking his initial foray into orchestration within the competitive New York theater environment.^[5][10] This debut role under Arlen's mentorship proved pivotal, as it facilitated Matz's connections to prominent performers in the mid-1950s theater and cabaret scenes. Through Arlen, Matz met Marlene Dietrich, for whom he began arranging music and serving as accompanist during her live performances, including shows that highlighted his emerging talents in adaptation and support for vocalists. Dietrich, in turn, introduced him to Noël Coward, leading to Matz's work as arranger and pianist for Coward's 1955 Las Vegas engagement and later contributions to Coward's 1961 Broadway musical Sail Away. These early associations helped Matz navigate the demanding transition from academic training to professional gigs in New York's vibrant but cutthroat entertainment landscape.^[2][5][2] Building on these breakthroughs, Matz took on subsequent roles in other 1950s productions, including dance music and additional vocal arrangements for the 1957 Broadway musical Jamaica, starring Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalbán, with music by Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. This collaboration further solidified his reputation as a versatile arranger in the evolving Broadway scene, where he balanced rehearsal duties with creative input amid the era's rapid production turnover and artistic demands.^[11][12][4]

Broadway and Stage Productions

Peter Matz made significant contributions to Broadway as a musical director, arranger, and orchestrator during the mid-20th century, particularly through his work on several landmark musicals. His expertise in blending sophisticated orchestration with dynamic conducting helped define the era's theatrical sound, often incorporating jazz-inflected rhythms drawn from his earlier experience with big bands like Maynard Ferguson's.^[13][14] One of Matz's most prominent Broadway achievements was his role in Richard Rodgers's No Strings (1962), where he served as musical director and provided dance arrangements. The production, which ran for 507 performances at the 54th Street Theatre, featured Matz collaborating closely with Rodgers during the show's development to ensure the score's innovative, contemporary feel. He also contributed additional orchestrations, complementing the primary work by Ralph Burns, which infused the musical with jazz elements reflective of the era's evolving style. For his efforts, Matz received a Tony Award nomination for Best Conductor and Musical Director in 1962.^[10][15][14] Matz also worked extensively with Noël Coward on Sail Away (1961), acting as musical director and handling dance arrangements for the revue-style musical that premiered at the Cort Theatre and ran for 167 performances. His arrangements captured Coward's witty, cosmopolitan flair while providing rhythmic vitality to the ensemble numbers and dance sequences. This collaboration built on Matz's prior arrangement work for Coward's solo performances, showcasing his versatility in supporting the composer's theatrical vision.^[10][16][14] Beyond these highlights, Matz's Broadway portfolio included vocal and dance arrangements for Harold Arlen's House of Flowers (1954), where he served as rehearsal pianist and shaped the show's exotic, calypso-infused sound during its 165-performance run. He provided dance music and additional vocals for Arlen's Jamaica (1957), contributing to its Caribbean rhythms over 555 performances. Later, Matz orchestrated Jule Styne's Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), earning acclaim for the score's energetic, jazz-tinged orchestrations that supported the musical's civil rights theme during its 293-show engagement. These projects underscored Matz's influence in integrating jazz sensibilities into Broadway's orchestral palette, enhancing the genre's accessibility and emotional depth.^[10][14]

Film and Television Contributions

Peter Matz served as musical director for the long-running variety series The Carol Burnett Show for eight seasons from 1971 to 1978, where he arranged and conducted music for comedic sketches, musical segments, and guest star performances.^[17] His contributions helped maintain the show's energetic pace and theatrical flair, particularly through live orchestral support that synchronized with the studio audience's reactions during tapings.^[7] For his direction on a 1973 episode, Matz received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical, or Dramatic Program, and he earned additional Emmy nominations for the series over the years.^[18] In film scoring, Matz provided the adaptation score for Funny Lady (1975), the sequel to Funny Girl, blending original compositions with classic Broadway tunes to underscore Barbra Streisand's portrayal of Fanny Brice.^[1] This work earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation at the 48th Oscars.^[19] Matz's scoring techniques emphasized lush orchestral swells and rhythmic precision, adapting stage musical conventions to cinematic pacing while preserving emotional depth in musical sequences. Matz's television specials included musical direction for My Name Is Barbra (1965), a showcase for Barbra Streisand that won him the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment—Musicians.^[20] He also acted as orchestra leader for the NBC music variety program Hullabaloo from 1965 to 1966, arranging contemporary pop and rock performances to suit the show's fast-paced, youth-oriented format.^[21] Throughout these projects, Matz excelled at translating Broadway-style arrangements to screen, such as integrating live audience energy through responsive musical cues that mirrored theatrical immediacy.^[16]

Recording and Arrangement Projects

Peter Matz's recording career began prominently with his arrangements for Barbra Streisand's debut album, The Barbra Streisand Album (1963), where he served as arranger and conductor, crafting orchestral backings that highlighted her vocal range through intimate jazz-inflected standards and show tunes.^[22] His contributions extended to her follow-up, People (1964), for which he arranged several tracks including the title song, earning a Grammy Award for Best Accompaniment, Arrangement for Vocalist or Instrumentalist in 1965.^[23][5] These early efforts established Matz as a key figure in vocal pop recordings, blending sophisticated orchestration with emotional depth to support Streisand's interpretive style. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Matz collaborated on vocal albums with artists such as Tony Bennett and Lena Horne, providing arrangements that emphasized dramatic phrasing and ensemble interplay. For Bennett's Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today! (1969), Matz handled orchestrations and conduction, updating contemporary hits with swing-era flair.^[24] Similarly, his work on recordings with Horne and others like Dionne Warwick and Sammy Davis Jr. involved tailoring lush, supportive backings to showcase individual vocalists in studio settings.^[1] Matz's orchestration style during this period drew from big band traditions, incorporating sweeping string sections and rhythmic brass for a full-bodied sound that evoked the glamour of mid-century American popular music while adapting to rock-influenced material.^[25][26] In later decades, Matz continued his studio work with contemporary artists, conducting on k.d. lang and Tony Bennett's duet album A Wonderful World (2002), where his arrangements infused standards with warm, orchestral textures that complemented the duo's interpretive chemistry. His approach remained consistent, prioritizing lush strings to create an enveloping atmosphere that enhanced vocal performances without overpowering them, as seen in projects with artists including Dolly Parton.^[27][28]

Notable Collaborations

Partnership with Barbra Streisand

Peter Matz's professional partnership with Barbra Streisand began in 1963, when he was brought on as arranger and conductor for her self-titled debut album on Columbia Records, produced by Mike Berniker.^[29] This initial collaboration marked the start of a decades-long relationship that shaped much of Streisand's early recording career, with Matz handling arrangements for her first five studio albums, including the Grammy-winning People (1964).^[30][31] Matz played a pivotal role in defining Streisand's early sound, crafting orchestral arrangements that provided robust support for her distinctive vocal phrasing and interpretive style. His work emphasized storytelling through music, allowing Streisand to portray characters and moods in songs like "Cry Me a River" from the debut album, where lush strings and subtle dynamics highlighted her emotional delivery.^[32] This approach created a theatrical, intimate framework that complemented her Broadway-influenced phrasing, setting a template for her blend of pop and standards.^[33] Key joint projects extended beyond albums to television and film. Matz arranged and conducted the music for Streisand's Emmy-winning 1965 CBS special My Name Is Barbra, underscoring her performances of hits like "People" and "Happy Days Are Here Again."^[20] In 1975, their collaboration reached the screen with Funny Lady, the sequel to Funny Girl, where Matz coordinated, arranged, and conducted the soundtrack, integrating new songs by composers like John Kander and Fred Ebb with Streisand's vocals alongside James Caan.^[34][6] The partnership evolved through the 1970s as Streisand transitioned into film and more diverse musical projects, with Matz providing consistent orchestral expertise that maintained their signature synergy of dramatic arrangements and vocal spotlighting. Their creative alignment persisted, evident in Matz's intuitive understanding of Streisand's vision for character-driven performances, though the intensity of early collaborations gave way to selective reunions.^[35] This culminated in a notable 1985 reunion for The Broadway Album, where Matz produced and arranged tracks that revisited their roots in Broadway standards, reinforcing the enduring mutual respect in their professional dynamic.^[30]

Work with Other Prominent Artists

In the 1950s and 1960s, Peter Matz established key collaborations with cabaret and theater luminaries, beginning with Marlene Dietrich, whom he met through composer Harold Arlen.^[7] Matz provided arrangements for Dietrich's one-woman shows, adapting her repertoire to highlight her dramatic delivery and international appeal across jazz-inflected standards and torch songs.^[4] This work not only showcased Matz's skill in blending orchestral sophistication with intimate performance styles but also led to further opportunities, as Dietrich recommended him to Noël Coward.^[6] Matz re-orchestrated Coward's extensive catalog for American audiences, contributing to revues and live performances that revitalized the composer's witty, cosmopolitan songs in genres ranging from musical theater to light opera.^[36] He served as conductor and arranger for Coward's 1955 Las Vegas engagement and the accompanying album Noël Coward at Las Vegas, where Matz's sparkling orchestrations infused classics like "Mad About the Boy" with fresh vitality, emphasizing rhythmic drive and lush strings. Similarly, for the 1959 album Noël Coward in New York, Matz directed the orchestra, capturing the performer's urbane charm through elegant, piano-led arrangements that spanned revue numbers and ballads.^[37] Matz's partnership with Tony Bennett during this era extended into jazz and pop, with Matz arranging and conducting several albums that highlighted Bennett's interpretive phrasing. Notable projects include I've Gotta Be Me (1969), where Matz's orchestrations supported swinging big-band treatments of contemporary hits, and Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today (1970), featuring innovative charts for songs like "Something" that blended rock influences with traditional vocal jazz.^[38] These collaborations demonstrated Matz's versatility in adapting to evolving genres, bridging Broadway polish with the improvisational energy of jazz standards.^[4] Later in his career, Matz worked with Lena Horne, providing musical direction that accentuated her powerful, emotive style in live and recorded settings, often drawing on jazz and blues elements from the Great American Songbook.^[5] His contributions extended to television specials like Dolly & Carol in Nashville (1979), where as musical director, Matz orchestrated duets and medleys for Dolly Parton and Carol Burnett, fusing country twang with orchestral grandeur to showcase Parton's narrative songcraft in a variety format.^[28] In the 1990s and early 2000s, Matz collaborated with k.d. lang on the duet album A Wonderful World (2002) alongside Tony Bennett, supplying orchestrations that evoked a soft, twilight ambiance for standards like "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," blending lang's alt-country timbre with jazz orchestration.^[39] Matz's work with Burt Bacharach spanned television and recording projects, including conducting and arranging the 1966 TV musical On the Flip Side, which featured Bacharach's melodic pop scores in a lighthearted narrative format.^[40] Their partnership peaked with the 1970 special The Sounds of Burt Bacharach, for which Matz earned an Emmy for his arrangements that amplified Bacharach's sophisticated harmonies through sweeping strings and rhythmic propulsion, influencing later interpretations of hits like "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."^[31] Throughout his later years, Matz focused on benefit concerts addressing HIV/AIDS, co-writing and performing with his wife, singer Marilynn Lovell, in productions that raised several hundred thousand dollars for home health care services.^[41] These events often incorporated collaborations with emerging artists to blend musical theater with advocacy, highlighting Matz's commitment to social causes through genre-spanning performances.^[14]

Personal Life and Later Years

Marriages and Family

Peter Matz was first married to Janet Perry on January 20, 1960; the couple divorced in 1978 after 18 years together.^[1] They had two sons, Zachary Matz and Jonas Matz.^[2] In 1981, Matz married singer and actress Marilynn Lovell on June 21 in California; the marriage lasted until his death in 2002.^[42][43] The couple resided in Los Angeles, where Matz had returned after earlier years based in New York.^[6] Matz was survived by his second wife, his two sons from the first marriage, and one grandson.^[2]

Philanthropy and Final Projects

In the later stages of his career, Peter Matz increasingly directed his energies toward philanthropic endeavors, particularly in support of HIV/AIDS causes, often in collaboration with his wife, actress Marilynn Lovell Matz, whom he married in 1981.^[44] Together, they organized and performed in numerous benefit cabaret concerts across New York City and Los Angeles, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) through intimate living-room performances and larger venue events in the late 1980s and 1990s.^[44] For instance, in 1989 alone, the couple conducted 16 such concerts in private homes—including those of Melissa Manchester and Rosemary Clooney—and at public spaces like the Pasadena Playhouse, generating over $80,000, with nearly $40,000 allocated directly to APLA's home health care program for people with AIDS.^[45] These efforts, which required minimal overhead and funneled 100% of proceeds to care services averaging $135 per day for approximately 150 clients, underscored Matz's commitment to providing practical support amid the crisis.^[45] Their philanthropy earned formal recognition in 1990, when Matz received a Special Los Angeles City Council Award for his fund-raising performances benefiting APLA.^[1] This honor highlighted a broader shift in Matz's professional focus during the 1990s and early 2000s, moving away from large-scale commercial arrangements toward more personal, cause-driven projects that aligned with his values and family involvement.^[1] While continuing select collaborations, Matz prioritized initiatives that combined his musical expertise with social impact, reflecting a deliberate pivot to meaningful, community-oriented work. One of Matz's final professional contributions exemplified this evolution: in spring 2001, he began arranging the score for the symphony pops production My Paris, a tribute to Maurice Chevalier based on the singer's memoir, in partnership with performer Tony Sandler.^[46] Drawing on his own Parisian studies and fluency in French, Matz completed the arrangements in Los Angeles by mid-2002, infusing the medley of Chevalier's songs with his signature orchestral flair; the program premiered posthumously with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in February 2003.^[46] This project, blending personal passion for French cabaret with symphonic scope, marked a poignant close to Matz's arranging career.

Death and Memorial

Peter Matz was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on August 9, 2002, at the age of 73 in Los Angeles, California.^[5][2] His death was announced by his publicist, and his wife, singer Marilynn Lovell Matz, whom he had accompanied in recent fundraising performances, was by his side during his final days.^[6][47] A memorial concert in Matz's honor was held on November 25, 2002, at his alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).^[48] The event featured performances by prominent artists including Joel Grey, Melissa Manchester, Burt Bacharach, Elaine Stritch, Maureen McGovern, Sam Harris, Jason Alexander, David Hyde Pierce, Barbara Cook, and Carol Burnett, with the orchestra conducted by Joe Soldo.^[48] It celebrated Matz's contributions to musical theater and arrangements through a selection of vintage New York show tunes from the 1970s, underscoring his enduring influence on the genre.^[48] Details regarding Matz's burial or estate arrangements were not publicly disclosed.^[5]

Awards and Legacy

Major Awards and Nominations

Peter Matz's award-winning career began in the early 1960s, marked by his innovative arrangements for Barbra Streisand's debut projects, which quickly established him as a leading figure in musical direction and orchestration. In 1964, he received the Grammy Award for Best Accompaniment, Recording for Commercial Purposes for his work on Streisand's album People, recognizing his sophisticated orchestral contributions that blended Broadway flair with pop sensibilities.^[2] This win highlighted Matz's ability to elevate vocal performances through meticulous scoring, setting the stage for his television successes.^[49] Building on this momentum, Matz earned his first Primetime Emmy Award in 1965 for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction for the television special My Name Is Barbra, where his arrangements amplified Streisand's interpretive style in a format that bridged stage and screen.^[2] By 1970, he secured another Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction on The Kraft Music Hall episode featuring "The Sounds of Burt Bacharach," showcasing his versatility in adapting contemporary songwriters' catalogs for broadcast.^[50] His television accolades continued in 1973 with a third Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction on The Carol Burnett Show, earned during his eight-year tenure as musical director (1971–1978), focusing on live variety formats.^[5] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Matz received additional nominations that underscored his broad impact, including a Tony Award nomination for Best Conductor and Musical Director on the Broadway production No Strings (1962) and an Academy Award nomination in 1976 for Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score for the film Funny Lady.^[41] These honors reflected his transition from recording and television to film and theater, though his wins remained concentrated in music direction. In the 1990s, Matz's philanthropy gained recognition with the Los Angeles City Council Award in 1990 for his fundraising performances benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles, honoring his off-stage contributions to HIV/AIDS support initiatives.^[1] This later accolade capped a trajectory that evolved from artistic excellence in the 1960s to sustained influence across media and community service by the 1990s.

Influence on Music and Tributes

Peter Matz played a pivotal role in bridging Broadway, pop, and jazz genres during mid-20th-century American music by infusing theatrical sophistication into popular recordings and television specials. His arrangements for Broadway productions like House of Flowers (1954) and Jamaica (1957) incorporated jazz elements, while his work with pop icons such as Barbra Streisand and Burt Bacharach blended orchestral grandeur with accessible melodies, as seen in his conducting of Streisand's debut album The Barbra Streisand Album (1963). Similarly, collaborations with jazz vocalists including Peggy Lee and Sarah Vaughan demonstrated his versatility in adapting Broadway-style orchestration to improvisational jazz contexts, creating a hybrid sound that influenced the era's crossover appeal.^[2] Matz's influence extended to modern arrangers through his foundational contributions to Streisand's and Carol Burnett's catalogs, where his innovative orchestrations set standards for dramatic vocal phrasing and ensemble dynamics. For Streisand's early Columbia albums, including the Grammy-winning People (1964), Matz's arrangements emphasized emotional depth and musical humor, techniques echoed in later pop-jazz hybrids by arrangers like Don Costa and Claus Ogerman. His eight-year tenure as musical director for The Carol Burnett Show (1971–1978) showcased comedic timing in live orchestration, inspiring contemporary television composers in blending variety show formats with sophisticated scoring. Additionally, Matz's seminars and teaching at the USC School of Music further disseminated his methods to emerging talents, fostering a legacy in educational circles.^[14][41] Posthumous tributes to Matz highlight his enduring impact, with mentions in artist memoirs underscoring his mentorship role. Industry retrospectives, such as the Society of Composers & Lyricists' 2002 in-memoriam tribute, praised his generosity and commitment to nurturing younger musicians, noting his founding membership and benefit concerts that raised significant funds for AIDS causes. Up to 2025, no major industry-wide retrospectives have emerged, though archival holdings like his 1968–1978 scores at the American Music Research Center preserve his work for potential future study.^[41][51] Despite these acknowledgments, gaps persist in Matz's current recognition, particularly regarding the lack of posthumous archival releases that could revive his arrangements for broader audiences. While his papers are archived, no comprehensive reissues of his Streisand or Burnett collaborations have occurred since his 2002 death, limiting access to his genre-blending innovations compared to more digitized contemporaries. This absence underscores a need for renewed efforts to highlight his contributions through restored recordings or dedicated exhibits.^[51]