Jazzmas! A Holiday Jazz Brunch
Join us for a festive celebration as Sitka Jazz Week founder and director Christian Fabian returns to Sitka alongside acclaimed Broadway pianist and music director Matt Perri. Enjoy a delightful morning filled with holiday cheer, featuring mimosas, Bloody Marys, and prosecco paired with a delicious brunch
Get ready to immerse yourself in the spirit of the season with live holiday tunes. Space is limited, so be sure to grab your tickets now!
Matt Perri made his triumphant debut at Carnegie Hall with the concert and live recording of Austen's Pride and has since established himself as a celebrated name in music. He has led Broadway hits such as Bandstand and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and boasts an impressive array of credits, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Promises, Promises.
Matt's expertise also extends to television, where he has contributed to high-profile projects like NBC's The Sound of Music Live and Peter Pan Live, along with performances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with David Letterman. He has made multiple appearances on ABC's The View, where he served as a staff songwriter. In 2024, he will showcase his passion for opera as Music Director and Conductor for the Seattle Opera Creation Lab Series.
In concert, Matt has collaborated with stars like Bette Midler, Kristin Chenoweth, Jessica Vosk, Kecia Lewis, and Mario Cantone, earning a reputation as a dynamic and versatile music director.
Matthew Antonio Perri's diverse educational background is integral to his development as a conductor and educator. He earned a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus) in Jazz Piano and Composition from New York University (NYU), studying under esteemed musicians such as Jim McNeely, Mike Holober, and Don Friedman. His studies in composition and orchestration were further enriched by working with distinguished composer Justin Dello Joio.
Matthew's conducting journey was significantly shaped by his mentor, Maestro Gary S. Fagin, Music Director of the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra. Under Maestro Fagin's guidance, Matthew honed his skills, drawing from the legacy of renowned German conductor Otto-Werner Mueller.
In addition to his formal education, Matthew spent years refining his vocal skills, training with Dr. Bruce Kolb in New York City to elevate his singing abilities. This comprehensive training across jazz, classical composition, conducting, and vocal performance equips Matthew with a rich, multifaceted perspective on music, allowing him to excel as a conductor and inspiring mentor.
Christian Fabian was born in Sweden, and moved to the US in the ’90s to attend Berklee College. He is currently active in the New York City jazz scene, playing with Mike Longo’s NY State of the Art Jazz Ensemble and around the metro area. He is a co-leader of the New Lionel Hampton Band featuring Jason Marsalis. He co-founded the Native Jazz Quartet—featuring Jason Marsalis and Reuel Lubag—with Ed Littlefield. The Quartet was selected by the US State Department to be American Jazz Ambassadors in 2013 and toured South America for the US in 2014.
Christian’s family moved to Germany when he was six, and it was there he saw a Dizzy Gillespie concert when he was 12. He met Dizzy and was so inspired he decided to play jazz.He learned electric bass, and when he was 16 began studying upright acoustic bass. Fabian studied at Maastricht Conservatory in The Netherlands with the principal bass player from the Concertgebouw Symphony Orchestra. He spent nearly four years there, playing with, and later co-leading, the jazz-rock-fusion band Time Design. The band recorded three albums and built a strong regional following. He has performed throughout Europe, in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Hungary.
When Berklee College of Music awarded him a full scholarship, he moved to Boston to study. He earned a degree in performance and film scoring, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2000. Lionel Hampton selected him as bassist for the Lionel Hampton Big Band, and he remains the Bass Chair of the band. He is frequently invited by the Thelonious Monk Institute to participate in summer workshops. He was an Artist in Residence at the University of Massachusetts, and has studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Taylor, Mike Longo and other Jazz greats. He is currently a student of Ron Carter.
Christian has become one of the best-regarded bassists on the US jazz scene. In addition to teaching in New York, and travelling to give workshops and clinics, he plays with The Mike Longo Big Band, and has performed with Jimmy Owens, Gary Burton, Danny Gottlieb, Lewis Nash, Jason Marsalis, John La Porta, Elvin Jones, Cheryl Bentyne, Ed Thigpen, Makoto Ozone, Chaka Khan, Bob Mintzer, Charlie Mariano, Claudio Roditi, Rick Margitza and Jon Hendricks.
He performs regularly with several bands including the New Lionel Hampton Big Band, and the Native Jazz Quartet. He co-founded The Crane/Fabian Project featuring top musicians Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, Mitch Forman, Alex Acuna, Steve Hunt, Eric Marienthal and Luis Conte among others. His compositions earned the Project two awards and three nominations with Hollywood Music in Media in 2008 and 2009 for Best Jazz Artist. In Japan he toured with world-famous ukelele player Herb Otha-san to sold-out houses. In 2010 the duo produced the Japanese hit CD Stardust 4 Strings on JVC.
Christian’s own band, the Fabian Zone Trio, has released six CDs since 2006: Across the Tracks, Curtain of Life, Of The Essence, The Masters Return!, Keys in Ascension and West Coast Session, featuring top musicians as special guests. On national airplay charts, the Fabian Zone Trio reached #1 on Music Choice, Top 10 on Jazz Radio for Canada and Top 20 on Jazz Week (national US radio chart) several times.