Jim Cornelison

Who is Jim Cornelison?

James Cornelison is a tenor who sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "O Canada" at the beginning of home games for the Chicago Blackhawks. Cornelison started singing the anthem for the Blackhawks part time in 1996; he has been singing the national anthem for the Blackhawks full time since 2007. In the 2010-2011 NFL playoffs, Cornelison also sang the anthem for the Chicago Bears. He also sang for the Chicago Bears opening game against the Atlanta Falcons of the 2011 football season on September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.

Cornelison graduated from Seattle Pacific University with degrees in music and psychology. He then went on to post graduate work and earned a Masters in Music from Indiana University in 1992. In 1995, he moved to Chicago and joined the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists.

Cornelison has won several awards for music, including:

⁕The William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award

⁕First place in the American Opera Society of Chicago’s 1997 Vocal Competition

⁕The George London Foundation Encouragement Grant