In terms of big stage football games, the annual Thanksgiving Day Cowboys game is second only to events like the Super Bowl, which is why the halftime and national anthem duties are usually handed off to pop stars and country singers. But not so this year. The Flying Dutchman himself, Jaap van Zweden, will be leading the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in performing the Star-Spangled Banner ahead of the Cowboys game against the Washington Redskins. Ah, but don’t worry, there will be some star-power in the mix. The DSO will be accompanying Heart’s Ann Wilson. Here’s the full release.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra to perform National Anthem at Dallas Cowboys game Thanksgiving Day
Jaap van Zweden to lead the DSO with Heart’s Ann Wilson on November 22, 2012 at 3:15 p.m.
Dallas, TX (Nov. 15, 2012) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO), led by its Music Director Jaap van Zweden, will perform the National Anthem on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22, 2012 at 3:15 p.m. at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington prior to the kickoff of the nationally televised game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. The DSO will be joined by Ann Wilson, lead singer of the rock band Heart. The performance will be part of the nationally televised program on FOX, available locally on FOX 4.
This is the first time in recent years the Dallas Symphony will play the National Anthem prior to a Dallas Cowboys football game, and the first time the Dallas Symphony will perform at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The original arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was created by Gary Fry especially for Ann Wilson and the Dallas Symphony and will receive its premiere at Cowboys Stadium.
“The Dallas Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving Day is a beloved holiday tradition for fans and families in North Texas and across the nation, and we are thrilled to be part of it this year,” says Dallas Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Jonathan Martin. “We are very excited to join the Cowboys, another great North Texas institution, and Ann Wilson to honor America on the field of the state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, and to introduce our orchestra to a new and different fan base.”
“We are excited to have the Dallas Symphony Orchestra join Ann Wilson for the performance of the National Anthem during our Thanksgiving Day game this year,” said Charlotte Anderson, Executive Vice President of Brand Management for the Dallas Cowboys. “Thanksgiving is a special time for families to come together, and to be able to have a wonderful institution like the Dallas Symphony Orchestra share their music with our Cowboys family is a fitting holiday tribute.”
Ann Wilson is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the rock band Heart. Heart rose to fame with hits like “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda,” “What About Love” and others. Ann has also enjoyed a successful solo career, composing and performing songs for major motion pictures including “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous.”
About Jaap van Zweden
Amsterdam-born Jaap van Zweden has risen rapidly in little more than a decade to become one of today’s most sought-after conductors. He has been Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and is also Honorary Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Radio Chamber Orchestras (having been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director from 2005-2011). In September 2012 he began his post as Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, for an initial contract of four years. In November 2011 van Zweden was named as the recipient of Musical America‘s Conductor of the Year Award 2012 in recognition of his critically acclaimed work as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and as a guest conductor with the most prestigious U.S. orchestras.
About the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, presents the finest in classical music at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, regarded as one of the world’s premier concert halls. As the largest and oldest performing arts organization in the southwest, the Dallas Symphony is committed to inspiring the broadest possible audience. Each year, the orchestra reaches 240,000 adults and 60,000 children through performances, educational programs and community outreach initiatives. In the last 25 years, the orchestra has released more than 30 CD recordings; toured Europe four times; and performed in Asia, Mexico, Washington D.C. at the Kennedy Center, and in New York at Carnegie Hall.
The DSO performs more than 175 public concerts each year, including the 16-week Texas Instruments Classical Series and a 9-week DSO Pops series. The orchestra performs four free Community Concerts Series concerts in neighborhoods throughout Dallas, and the DSO on the Go series takes the orchestra to concert halls in communities across North Texas.
Founded in 1900, the Dallas Symphony is now a central figure in the Dallas Arts District, the largest of its kind in the nation. The 68-acre district in downtown Dallas is home to multiple museums, parks, and performing arts venues, including the Meyerson Symphony Center.
