this is specifically renee fleming for you?know, it's incredibly exciting, because typically we sing in classical music where presenting works by composesers no longer with us and trying to fit into a template created by someone else. so when it's for you and you're the template, this such freedom. i could say, andre a better fit if i had a high note there, if you let me do this glamorous thing and, ah what a joy. because you just walk onstage it's like stepping into a suit that fits you perfect linchts to your point, what is the joy of being able to work collaboratively like that because the piece is writing four? >> specifically, he'll come up with an idea. i've done it with a couple of composers. listen to my recordings, work with them, i like this part of your voice. let's focus on that. i was able to say to andre, for example, i tour a lot, can i have an arya to take it with me? so he gave me five. you know? i just talked to him yesterday and he has a new piece in mind for me as well. this is -- it's creative. totally crea

join me next tie for a conversation with one of the world's great sopranos, renee fleming, starring insire." that's next time. we'll see you then. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> and contributions, from viewers just like you. thank you. [typewriter] on story is brought to you in part by the alice kleberg ren nald knolleds foundation, a texas family providing innovating funding since 1979. [environment sounds] [siren]

opera singer renee fleming's gown worn when she sang the national anthem during the 2014 super bowl isons of flags fly in big cities and small towns like the one where i came from all across our nation. they hang on front porches and store fronts, schools, military bases, museums, cities, state and federal buildings. small children carry them in big parades. i even have a flag that was carried in outer space by a friend of mine who was an astronaut. our military men and women carry them into battle. they mark the graves of the fallen at arlington national cemetery, gettysburg and the american cemetery in normandy, france. & means. we salute those who defend it and those who live up to it. everything those flags stand for everywhere is symbolized by one flag here, and that is the star-spangled banner. it is here, but we at the smithsonian don't own it. you own it, the american people. we take care of it and we have for more than a century. we preserve it and display it for the american people, and visitors from around the world who seek to understand our country, our culture and its gre