PHOENIX — A blind and autistic clarinet player from the Valley will perform the national anthem at Chase Field in front of more than 48,000 fans after the Arizona Diamondbacks saw his story on ABC15.
Joe Giacinto, 21, will take the field for the Diamondbacks' home opener on March 30 — a moment years in the making for the musician who has made a career of learning every song by ear.
Arizona Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall reached out to Giacinto after seeing our coverage of the musician.
"We've been watching stories about you and reading about you," President Hall told Giacinto.
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Hall said Giacinto was at the top of the team's wish list to perform the national anthem for the season home opener.
The invitation comes as no surprise to those who know Giacinto's story. The 21-year-old has taken his talents from sitting in with jazz bands in New Orleans to the NBA hardwood of an Atlanta Hawks game, where he was invited to perform by NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins — himself the father of a child with autism.
Before performing at the Hawks game, Giacinto reflected on what the moment meant to him.
"It's probably going to be the best day of my life," Giacinto said back in December.
That was before the call from the Diamondbacks.
Playing Chase Field has long been a dream for Giacinto, making Hall's words all the more meaningful.
"I think we can make that dream come true," Hall said.
Giacinto's response was immediate.
"LET'S GO!!!" Giacinto said.
The opportunity has been a long time coming. Giacinto was originally asked by the Diamondbacks ahead of the 2020 season, but the pandemic forced the performance to become a virtual one. Now, he will perform live for a crowd of more than 48,000.
"Such an amazing opportunity, I can't wait," Giacinto said.
When the call with Hall ended, Giacinto's family — who were in the room — reacted with a phrase not safe for broadcast out of excitement. Giacinto's response was simple: time to hit the practice room.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
