Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pays Tribute to Jerome Bettis on Heinz Field Tonight

PITTSBURGH - Tonight, October 1, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will perform at a professional sporting event for the first time when they share Heinz Field with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team takes on the Baltimore Ravens in a nationally televised game.

During halftime, the Pittsburgh Symphony will take to the field to perform "Whitewater," composed by conductor Jeff Tyzik, principal pops conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic and several other orchestras, a piece that describes the power of the river, roaring through the canyons. "Whitewater" provides the perfect complement to the highlight film of newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis' career, which will be part of the evening's celebration of his induction.

Renowned singer and pianist Tony DeSare, who is part of the PNC Pops: Sinatra and Beyond performances on October 2-4celebrating Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday, will perform the national anthem with music recorded by the Pittsburgh Symphony.

"This is an incredible opportunity for the Pittsburgh Symphony to show its admiration and affection for 'Steelers Nation,'" says President and CEO Melia Tourangeau. "I am so pleased that we can be a part of this important and dynamic event. Our sincere thanks goes to the UPMC Health Plan and the Pittsburgh Steelers for making this opportunity possible."

Kick-off is at 8:25 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS and the NFL Network.

This performance is made possible by UPMC Health Plan.

About the Artists

Grammy Award-winner Jeff Tyzik is one of America's most innovative and sought after pops conductors. Tyzik is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. Tyzik holds The Dot and Paul Mason Principal Pops Conductor's Podium at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and also serves as principal pops conductor of the Seattle Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Oregon Symphony and The Florida Orchestra. This season, Tyzik will celebrate his 22nd season as principal pops conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Frequently invited as a guest conductor, Tyzik has appeared with the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Milwaukee Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In May 2007, the Harmonia Mundi label released his recording of works by Gershwin with pianist Jon Nakamatsu and the RPO, which stayed in the Top 10 on the Billboard classical chart for over three months. Alex Ross of The New Yorker, called it "one of the snappiest Gershwin discs in years."

Committed to performing music of all genres, Tyzik has collaborated with such diverse artists as Chris Botti, Matthew Morrison, Wynonna Judd, Tony Bennett, Art Garfunkel, Dawn Upshaw, Marilyn Horne, Arturo Sandoval, The Chieftains, Mark O'Connor, Doc Severinsen and John Pizzarelli. He has created numerous original programs that include the greatest music from jazz and classical to Motown, Broadway, film, dance, Latin and swing. Tyzik holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music.

Named a Rising Star Male Vocalist in Downbeat magazine, Tony DeSare has lived up to this distinction by winning critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas headlining with Don Rickles and major symphony orchestras, DeSare has brought his fresh take on old school class around the globe. DeSare has three top ten Billboard jazz albums under his belt and has been featured on the "CBS Early Show," NPR, "A Prairie Home Companion," the "Today" show and his music has been posted by social media celebrity juggernaut George Takei. Notwithstanding his critically acclaimed turns as a singer/pianist, DeSare is also an accomplished award-winning composer. He not only won first place in the USA Songwriting Contest, but has written the theme song for the motion picture, My Date with Drew, along with several broadcast commercials. DeSare's forthcoming appearances include the Pittsburgh Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Arizona Music Festival, The Smith Center in Las Vegas and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. DeSare releases new recordings, videos of standards and new originals every few weeks on his YouTube channel, iTunes and Spotify. Follow DeSare on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe on YouTube to stay connected. Tony DeSare is a Yamaha Artist.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900-including 36 international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America-the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.

UPMC Health Plan, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is among the nation's fastest-growing health plans. It is owned by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider. As part of an integrated health care delivery system, UPMC Health Plan is committed to providing its members better health, more financial security and the peace of mind they deserve. UPMC Health Plan partners with UPMC and community network providers to produce a combination of knowledge and expertise that provides the highest quality care at the most affordable price. The UPMC Insurance Services Division - which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC WorkPartners, LifeSolutions, UPMC for Life, UPMC for You, UPMC for Kids, Askesis, and Community Care Behavioral Health - offers a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to over 2.7 million members. Our local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 125 hospitals and more than 11,500 physicians throughout Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. For more information, visit upmchealthplan.com.

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