Palm Beach Symphony records Florida Panthers’ goal song
The symphony performed and a recorded an orchestral arrangement of the two-time Stanley Cup champions’ song that plays after each goal.
Provided by IndieHouse Films
The Palm Beach Symphony has recorded an orchestral version of the Florida Panthers’ goal song, “Panthers Pulse.”Fifty-eight symphony musicians recorded the new arrangement at the University of Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music.The new partnership will feature the symphonic goal song at games, in commercials and on social media.
The next time one of the Florida Panthers lobs a hockey puck into the back of a net at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, fans of the two-time Stanley Cup champions could hear the swelling of an orchestra.
Triumphant strings will join jubilant horns in the team’s goal song, “Panthers Pulse,” originally performed by Ownboss & Selva — and now performed by the Palm Beach Symphony.
Fifty-eight Palm Beach Symphony musicians traveled on Sept. 27 to the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall at the University of Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music to record “Panthers Pulse,” a performance that resulted from a new partnership with the NHL team, said David McClymont, the symphony’s chief executive.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “They’re two-time Stanley Cup champs, and they’re beloved in our community. We are so excited to team up with them for the song and look forward to partnering with them on future endeavors.”
The project was a bit serendipitous for McClymont, who grew up a hockey fan and whose Montreal-born father — also David McClymont — played junior hockey for the Montreal Canadiens. “Growing up in Palm Beach County, it was sort of unique that I was a hockey fan before we had hockey here,” he said. The Panthers played their first game in 1993.
The younger McClymont first connected with the Panthers after he met and befriended the late hockey icon Bill Torrey when McClymont worked at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach from 1995 to 2010. Torrey was a Bear Lakes member. An NHL Hall-of-Famer, Torrey was credited with building the Panthers organization as the team’s first president, after a record-setting run leading the New York Islanders.
McClymont said he is fascinated by marketing for professional sports teams and their ability to build a fan base and create loyalty. He connected the symphony’s marketing team with the Panthers to find opportunities to partner — and the idea for the symphonic goal song was born.
“It seemed like such an incredible opportunity,” McClymont said.
The Panthers plan to use the music at games, in TV commercials and across social media channels, he said.
“Ultimately, we’ll be able to explore performing in the arena,” McClymont said.
The classical version of “Panthers Pulse” was arranged by Stephen Guerra, an assistant professor at the Frost School of Music. The team first introduced the song at the beginning of its 2023-24 season, and
The symphony’s performers were thrilled for the opportunity to be a part of Panthers history, McClymont said. Some even donned Panthers gear for the recording.
“To our knowledge, not many NHL teams have songs that have been performed by a full orchestra,” he said. “And to the best of our knowledge, I think this is the first time that the Florida Panthers officially partnered with a symphony.”
The opportunity is a unique one for a small nonprofit like the Palm Beach Symphony, McClymont said.
“There’s so much connectivity that’s being formulated right now,” he said. “Obviously, it’s in the incubation period, but you can imagine how big this could become.”
It all comes back to the symphony’s goal: to engage, educate and entertain, McClymont said. The Panthers share some of those goals, he noted.
“There’s a lot of crossover,” McClymont said. “The Panthers inspire youth and adults to play hockey. We take great pride in inspiring the youth to learn more about musical instruments and play through the school years and into adulthood.
“Hopefully this collaboration inspires fans of both the music and the hockey, and that’s the ultimate goal,” he said.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.