Biography

Ms. Mathys has gained critical and popular success in Europe and recently in the United States as an actor, concert singer and recording artist known for the wide spectrum of her repertory and her electrifying performances.

Her European theatre credits include: two hundred performances as Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s German premiere production of Sunset Boulevard (directed by Trevor Nunn); Maria Callas in Master Class (St. Gallen, Switzerland; March, 2005); the title role in Piaf (Prix Walo Outstanding Actress Award); Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (German premiere); the title role in the world premiere and subsequent Swiss national tour of her solo show Lila Rosen (written for Ms.Mathys; premiered and recorded live at Kaufleuten, Zürich); Sister Robert Anne in Non(n)sense (Original German cast album); Marta in Company (Theater des Westens, Berlin); Rizzo in Grease (Basel, Switzerland); Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar (Freilichtspiele Schwäbisch Hall, Germany); as well as Sally Bowles in various German, Austrian, and Swiss productions of Cabaret, the title role in Irma La Douce, Anita in West Side Story, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Columbia in the German Premiere of The Rocky Horror Show and many more.

Having shared the stage with two other female Swiss celebrities in Drei Bräute für ein Halleluja (nominated for a Prix Walo 2006 for Best Theatre Production), she toured Switzerland with this successful show in 2006. She originated the role of Johanna Spyri in Heidi, a new musical by Shaun McKenna and Stephen Keeling based on Sypri’s life and famous novel, 2005 open air world premiere in Walenstadt, Switzerland, and also played this part in the German premiere production at the Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau 2006/2007. The authors of Heidi were so impressed by Ms. Mathys’ performance, that when they wrote the sequel Heidi and Johanna, which had its world premiere in July 2007 (under the title of Heidi Part 2), the role of Johanna Spyri became the starring part of this new work. It was nominated for a Prix Walo award for Best Theatre Production 2007.

Having performed in the major venues in Switzerland (Zürich, Winterthur, St. Gallen, Solothurn, Lucerne, Biel, Bern, Basel, Avenches), Germany (Berlin, Bonn, Dessau, Essen, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Kaiserslautern, Schwäbisch Hall, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Würzburg), and Austria (Bregenz and Salzburg) in an extraordinarily wide spectrum of stage roles including Woman One in Raymond Queneau’s Autobus S, the title role in Offenbach’s La Belle Helene, Bernstein’s MASS (Deutschlandhalle Berlin) and in many celebrated revues such as One Touch Of Weill (in Zürich), Ein Genie Bin Ich Selber (a revue of the work of Hanns Eisler; Förderpreis der Internationalen Bodenseekonferenz award), and Kleiner Mann Was Nun (in Lucerne), Ms. Mathys also performed frequently on television, on the radio and in symphonic gala concerts.

Her former triumph in concert with the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and Jay Dias as conductor, Sue Mathys Sings Broadway And Piaf, was recorded live at the sold out Konzertsaal of the Kultur- und Kongress- Zentrum in Lucerne, Switzerland, and it’s CD of the same name immediately shot to the top of the German Musical Theatre charts. During her thirty-one years performing career, she has sung dozens of concerts and gala shows with numerous renowned European orchestras and big bands (Stadtmusik Zürich, Zürich Weill Orchestra, Pepe Lienhard Big Band, Swiss Brass Consort, Bill von Arx Quintett, Roberto Bossard The Trio, Ms.Mathys’ Gala-Band Silk Noise and many more). In June 2007 she sang the part of the Old Lady in a concert of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, performed in the original English version at the sold out Schaudausaal in Thun, Switzerland. Though Ms. Mathys could be seen in front of the camera in feature films (2005’s Nordwind, directed by Bettina Oberli), on Swiss National Television (2004’s acclaimed TV-Movie, Moritz, directed by Stefan Haupt), she also had numerous popular TV show appearances on Benissimo, Menschen, Moor Late Night Show, Risiko, Krebs-Gala 2005 and Aeschbacher 2006, and she often enjoyed using her voice to create roles in radio plays, over voicing movies, cartoons, documentaries and commercials. Many in Switzerland recognize Ms. Mathys’ voice from her years of delivering the daily news on Switzerland’s National Television Station, SF.

In addition to her large concert galas, Ms. Mathys toured Switzerland and Germany with great success in a more intimate solo show entitled Act 1: The Same Old Song, with Long Island born music director/pianist Brian Gill. She was a guest teacher and lecturer at Switzerland’s universities of music, including the highly respected Zürich and Luzerner Hochschulen für Musik, and was a member of the jury of the Swiss musical contest Pop Schwiz. For ten years she has served as a member of the executive board of the Swiss Performing Artists Union SBKV (Schweizerischer Bühnenkünstlerverband), a member of the board of the International Federation of Actors FIA.

Commercial CD recordings: Sue Mathys Sings Broadway And Piaf (live with the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester; Jay Dias, guest conductor; on Phonag Records); Heidi-Das Musical Teil 2 (Heidi and Johanna, 2007 World Premiere Cast Live Recording); Non(n)sense (Original German Cast Recording on EMU Records); Sue Mathys in Piaf (live at Stadttheater Luzern); Lila Rosen (live at Kaufleuten, Zürich; Lila Pfeffer Unlimited); Hardy Hepp’s HeppCHor (Impact Music); Joseph Bachmann’s Jus D’Accordéon (Tyrolis Music); Moser & Schneider’s Heidi (Tudor Recording AG), Zirkus Nock Gala (with the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester) and Andreas Vollenweider’s Book Of Roses (Columba Records).

In September 2008, Sue Mathys made her American Concert Debut at the Chamber Music Hall (Weill Recital Hall) at Carnegie Hall. The sold out and wildly enthusiastic audience gave her standing ovations, and demanded Ms. Mathys return to the stage to give encores. This stunning debut, presented by the Swiss Society of New York and Robert R.Blume/Les Schecter, was directed by Len Pfluger, and Ms.Mathys was accompanied at the piano by her long-time Music Director Jay Dias. In June 2009, the same concert was given at the Carpenter Performance Hall at the Irving Arts Center in Dallas, Texas. Presented by Lyric Stage, Ms. Mathys once again captured her audience as she did at Carnegie, and the resulting series of standing ovations by the Lyric Stage audience had Ms. Mathys return to the stage to offer encores of some of Piaf's most popular chansons. After having played the role of Frl.Schneider in Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret (directed by Russell Garrett) at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina in 2009, in summer 2010 she starred as Mama Rose in the acclaimed production of Gypsy (directed by Michael Susko) at the New Bedford Festival Theatre in Massachusetts. In both productions she was cheered by critics and audiences alike. Her concert Two Worlds, One Voice at Urban Stages’ Cabaret Nights in December 2009 in New York City received an Agnes Moorehead Award for being „one of the ten best New York live performances of the year 2009“. Her recent New York appearances include the reading of Café Puttanesca (The Baroness) by Michael Ogborn at Urban Stages, Reading of the new musical The Rivals (Mrs. Malaprop) by Greg Edwards and Jonathan Breit and 8 Minute Musicals at the Musical Theatre Festival NYMF 2010 and in March 2011. She was a featured singer at the sold out gala opening night of the 21st New York Cabaret Convention 2010 presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation at Rose Hall (Jazz at Lincoln Center), where her thrilling performance garnered a standing ovation. She performed her solo concert Two Worlds, One Voice (Music Director: John Bell) at Urban Stages’ Cabaret Nights in December 2010, at the Metropolitan Room in New York City, for the Library of Congress in Washington DC (Atlas Performing Arts Center), as well as for the Dunes Club in Narragensett, RI in 2011. Taking The Plunge, a piece by Greg Edwards and Amanda Louise Miller (originally created for 8 Minute Musicals), featuring Sue Mathys, was one of the 40 finalists of over 1,000 sumission to the 36th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, and performed in July 2011. In September 2011, Ms. Mathys will once again star in a production of Gypsy, this time at the Lyric Stage in Irving, Texas, featuring a 38 piece orchestra playing the restored original orchestrations, conducted by Jay Dias, and directed by Len Pfluger.

Her training includes earning a MFA at the Schauspiel Akademie Zürich, study at the Herbert Berghof Studio, and continuous vocal study with Arabella Hong Young in New York, as well as dance training at New York’s Steps on Broadway. Sue Mathys lives in New York City.