For the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, there won't just be pop icons taking the stage but also a classical star, too. It's been announced that Mr. Gustavo Dudamel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, along with Coldplay and Beyoncé, will lead members of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles in the mid-game performance as well.
Mr. Dudamel, who is the music and artistic director based at the L.A. Philharmonic, will take the stage alongside the popular performers as part of the festivities. In the program, Dudamel will be joined onstage by students from the YOLA at Expo site in South L.A., an affiliate of the Philharmonic, Harmony Project and Expo Center.
The director remarked on the engagement:
"This is a wonderful honor and an extraordinary showcase for YOLA, as well as a tribute to youth orchestras worldwide. When we play, it will be for the youth of the world so they can be inspired to create both a better life for themselves and a better future."
Super Bowl 50 will take place Feb. 7 and is to be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. CBS will host the event, which will see the Carolina Panthers take on the Denver Broncos for a ring and the championship.
Bragging rights aside, the performance is shaping up to be something spectacular, with pop stars juxtaposed alongside classical it should help usher in the genre to a younger audience (or, perhaps, one more football-oriented).
Organizers are estimating more than 118.5 million viewers to tune into the big game as well as check out the halftime performance.
Regardless of the honor to be a part of the event, both musically and in a sports sense, the match is one of the most watched events in the country.
If you aren't familiar with Mr. Dudamel then check out a preview of him below.
