Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show Line Up to Include a Gustavo Dudamel Performance with Youth Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel is set to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl 50 Half Time Show at the Levi's Stadium on Feb. 7 with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. This is the first time in 50 years that the National Football League championship game will include classical music in their line of performers.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic music director will be joining the likes of Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars on stage, who are also included in the lineup. According to Latin Times, he and Chris Martin already formed a kind of friendship when he met the latter as he regularly watched his concerts with his orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Additionally, Deborah Borda, the president of the L.A. Philharmonic, was very pleased when she learned that the Venezuelan conductor and the YOLA students would be playing at the prestigious event. "I think it will benefit them incredibly -- the question of music education in our social and musical structure ... it's a touchdown," she said.
In fact, the young kids are now busy practicing their piece and want to deliver an epic performance, which will be aired on CBS and watched by roughly 100 million viewers. This will be a great opportunity for the children and Dudamel to promote classical music, showing that it can be part of the "young one's education."
Los Angeles Times reported the 35-year-old violinist is the first ever conductor to rise to a "true public image," who is trying to break the wall between classical and pop music. In fact, just two weeks ago, the television comedy series "Mozart in the Jungle," which is based on a "Dudamel-like conductor," won two Golden Globe awards.
A lot of people already have heard the music of the father-of-one as he was responsible for the iconic opening and closing music of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Meanwhile, Dudamel started the youth orchestra in 2009, mainly composed of African American, Asian and Latino kids.
Fortunately, after seven years of hard work and non-stop rehearsals, they are now able to showcase their talents to a vast array of people in the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
"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," Dudamel said in a statement.