Philip John MATTSON

1938 - 2019

MATTSON, Philip John (Age 80) Philip John Mattson, pianist, choral director, arranger and composer of vocal jazz and choral music, died peacefully in his sleep on January 9, 2019. He died of complications from paralysis several years after a motorcycle accident. He is survived by his two former wives, his brother, David Mattson, six of seven children, and fourteen grandchildren. He will also be missed and mourned by thousands of former students and colleagues. Phil was born in Minnesota on October 31, 1938 to John and Inez Mattson. He was graduated from Brainerd High School in 1956 and joined the Navy, playing in its band. He earned his undergraduate degree Summa Cum Laude from Concordia College. He married Joyce Neiman in 1958 and had sons Michael and Mark. They divorced in 1962, and Phil married Margaret Nelson, with whom he had Philip, Jr., Elizabeth, Joshua, Sarah (d. 2004), and Lucas Mattson. He did his graduate and doctoral work in Choral Literature and Conducting at the University of Iowa as an NDEA Fellow. Phil's family lived in Brown County, IN; Fargo,ND; and Mt. Vernon, IA before moving in 1975 to California, where Phil became Director of Choral Activities at Foothill College in Los Altos, and started a vocal jazz group called the Fanfairs. He began a long and illustrious career directing and arranging jazz and pop standards for vocal jazz ensembles, achieving acclaim for his sophisticated arrrangements and two grammy nominations with his vocal group the PM Singers. While teaching at Foothill College, Phil established the Phil Mattson Workshops, offered during the summers on campuses throughout the US and Canada. These workshops also helped establish his reputation as one of the finest vocal jazz accompanists of his time. He served as choral director at Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA) and at Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA), and opened the Phil Mattson School in Spokane in 1983, offering singers a complete musical education in performance, piano, theory, and studio work. Using that same approach, he established the School for Music Vocations at Southwestern Community College in Creston, IA in 1991, drawing students from around the country. In 2009, Phil relocated to the Twin Cities, where he continued his work directing vocal groups, arranging, and performing/recording as a jazz pianist. Phil had a passion for travel and a requited love affair with Harley Davidson, his lifelong companion. He rode to the tip of South America. He also set world records for miles travelled on a Harley in 2001/2002, averaging more that 1000 miles a day, stopping only for a good meal and a glass of Merlot. He was on his yellow Harley on September 3, 2015, when he was struck and paralyzed. He survived many life-threatening infections and hospitalizations, going on to enjoy teaching and playing again at Sunrise Senior Living in Studio City, CA and being cared for by his son Mark. Mark and his family's dedication helped give Phil a few more happy and meaningful years of life. Phil was awarded the Jazz Education Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Phil's unswerving committment to the highest artistic standards sealed his stellar professional reputation, but it was his difficult and painful final years which made his unquenchable optimism inspiring. While his body succumbed to illness, Phil's spirit remained indomitable.