Matt Marantz Quartet to Perform Sept. 2

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will kick off its fall season Friday, Sept. 2, with a concert by the Matt Marantz Quartet. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

According to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga, Marantz is a friend and longtime colleague of Scranton’s new Co-Director of Performance Music Phil Kuehn.

A Texas native, Marantz grew up in a musical family and, during the early years of his saxophone studies, became an admirer of the music of Charlie Parker, Phil Woods and Cannonball Adderly.

While a student at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Marantz nurtured his love of playing in different types of ensembles under the tutelage of his father and then-director of the jazz bands, Bart Marantz. There, he also learned about the jazz greats who served as his musical foundation, among them Keith Jarrett, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Some of Marantz:s peers at the school, most notably pianists Sam Harris and Frank LoCrasto, additionally had a big impact on his playing and composing.

In 2004, Marantz moved to New York City, beginning a musical journey that has taken him as far away as the Middle East, Europe and Asia for tours. Along the way, he has had the chance to perform live with Herbie Hancock, Michael Bublé, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Jason Moran. His 2010 album, “Offering,” received three and a half stars in Downbeat, while his self-released title “Aura” is available on Bandcamp.

Please check Performance Music’s website, scranton.edu/music, within 24 hours of the concert for information regarding venue requirements for audiences, as policies regarding campus health and safety may change throughout the season.

For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Marantz, visit mattmarantz.com.