The Score | Fever Pitch

Who says you can’t do both sports and music? On August 31, Marie-Hélène Bernard, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s president and CEO, threw the ceremonial first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium against the Washington Nationals. Bernard was in good company. Earlier that month, Kirk Gustafson, music director of Colorado’s Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, threw the first pitch at the Grand Junction Rockies game at Stocker Stadium. Th at appearance took place during a day of orchestra activities at the stadium, which included a free concert following the baseball game. Michael Francis, the Florida Orchestra’s new music director, threw the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field on September 17 against the Baltimore Orioles. On September 29, Yannick Nézet-Séguin took time out of his fall schedule as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra to throw the fi rst pitch at the Philadelphia Phillies’ baseball game at Citizens Bank Park against the New York Mets. In football, on October 1 the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Jeff Tyzik performed during halftime at the Pittsburgh Steelers game at Heinz Field. The orchestra performed Tyzik’s composition Whitewater, to accompany a film about running back Jerome Bettis, newly inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In Ohio, the Canton Symphony Orchestra partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame for an October 15 concert at Umstattd Performing Arts Hall of football-themed movie music, narrated by Lynn Swann, a former wide receiver for the Steelers. Later this winter, the San Francisco Symphony will join festivities for Super Bowl 50, February 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Joshua Gersen will lead SFS concerts on February 3 and 4 hosted by NFL Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen.