10:18 AM PST 1/21/2014 by The Associated Press
The Super Bowl will have a touch of the classical this year: Opera star Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem.
The four-time Grammy winner will perform before the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb 2. The game is set to air on Fox.
Fleming is the first opera star to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In recent years, it has been performed mainly by a mix of pop and country stars.
Known as "The People's Diva," the soprano is closely identified with the New York City region, having spent years singing on such iconic stages as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Last year, she received the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor the government gives to artists.
