Washington National Opera Artists Leaving Kennedy Center
- The Washington National Opera will leave the Kennedy Center after its current season, becoming the latest arts association to distance itself from the venue sence Donald trump added...
- The Washington National Opera's departure is the latest and perhaps most notable in a string of artist exits from the cultural institution as Trump took over the institution.
- Backlash from ticket-buyers, slated performers, and certain board members-including Shonda Rhimes-was swift.
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The Washington National Opera will leave the Kennedy Center after its current season, becoming the latest arts association to distance itself from the venue sence Donald trump added his name to the building in December following a vote by the Trump-appointed members of its board. Since the power of the venue’s board to rename the center is currently in dispute, NPR continues to refer to the Kennedy Center using its legal name.
A string of exits
The Washington National Opera’s departure is the latest and perhaps most notable in a string of artist exits from the cultural institution as Trump took over the institution.
Backlash from ticket-buyers, slated performers, and certain board members-including Shonda Rhimes-was swift.
Artists are continuing to cancel performances. But one of the first to do so was a touring production of the musical hamilton. In a statement on X in March 2025, producer Jeffrey Seller saeid he opposed the Trump administration’s ousting of many Democratic board members.
“The recent purge by the Trump Administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national center represents,” wrote Seller.
Actress and writer Issa Rae followed suit wiht a post on Instagram,cancelling her sold-out March performance.
A slew of additional artists and performance companies canceled after the board’s vote to rename the center “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Congress has not yet authorized the name change.
Grenell has responded to many cancellations on social media, condemning the artists.After Banjo player Béla Fleck canceled his performance because he said the center had become “political,” Grenell wrote on X,”You just made it political and caved to the woke mob who wants you to perform for only Lefties.
“This mob pressuring you will never be happy until you only play for DemocraI am sorry, but the provided text appears to be image source code (specifically, `
Béla Fleck
Reports from NBC and othre outlets, including Variety, have refuted this claim, publishing screenshots showing that Schwartz was promoted on the Kennedy Center’s website prior to his cancellation.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for songwriters Hall Of fame
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Theo Wargo/Getty images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
announced its plan to file a $1 million lawsuit against Redd. “Any artist canceling their show at the Trump kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled-they are se
Kristy Lee
Folk singer Kristy Lee canceled her Jan. 14 Kennedy Center performance due to “recent efforts to impose political branding on the Center,” according to a statement posted on her website.
“Public arts spaces should be free from political influence,” Lee said in her statement. “I step back out of respect for artistic freedom and the Kennedy Center’s founding mission, not in opposition to its staff, artists, or audience.”
On Jan. 14, Lee plans to host a live-streamed concert instead, titled “Showing Up: From the Kennedy Center to the Couch.”
Low Cut Connie
Philadelphia rock and roll band Low Cut Connie pulled their concert, set for February 2025, “upon learning that this institution that has run non-partisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime,” according to a statement posted on their Facebook page.
“Maybe my career will suffer from this decision,” wrote band frontman Adam Weiner, “but my soul will be the better for it.”
Rhiannon Giddens
Rhiannon Giddens and the Puerto Rican band Balún have canceled upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., citing concerns over recent programming changes at the institution.
Giddens announced her departure from the Kennedy Center lineup in a social media statement. “I cannot in good conscience play at The Kennedy with the recent programming changes forced on the institution by this new board,” wrote Giddens.
Giddens transferred her May 11 concert, “Old-Time Revue,” to The Anthem concert hall, also in Washington, D.C.
Balún
The Puerto Rican band, based in Brooklyn in New York City, canceled their Kennedy Center performance, which had been set for Feb. 27, 2025.
According to a statement posted to Balún’s Instagram account, “recent events made it clear that the space no longer aligns with our values. our safety, integrity, and commitment to justice come first.”
Issa Rae attends HBO’s final season premiere of “Insecure” at Kenneth Hahn Park on Oct. 21, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
“Thank you so much for selling out the kennedy Center for ‘An evening With [Me],'” wrote issa Rae, the acclaimed star and creator of HBO’s Insecure, on her Instagram stories page in Feb.2025.”Regrettably, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue.”
“Hamilton”
In March 2025, Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller announced on X that the Tony-award winning musical phenomenon would no longer run as scheduled at the Kennedy Center. According to the statement, the decision was made both for political and for business reasons
The Kennedy Center was swift to respond to Hamilton‘s cancellation. On X in a now-deleted post, Richard Grenell accused Hamilton star and creator Lin Manuel-Miranda of being “intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically,” and stated that the decision was “a publicity stunt that will backfire.”
In the months since the show’s cancellation at the Center,Hamilton has continued to sell out theaters on Broadway and in venues nationwide who host its North American touring company.
U.S.Marine Band
The U.S. Marine Band announced in February 2025 that the Marine band would not perform in the Equity Arc Wind Symphony event, a collaboration between Marine Band members and selected high school musicians.
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