Famed American composer Philip Glass on Tuesday announced he is pulling the premiere of his newest symphony, titled “Lincoln,” from the Kennedy Center, becoming the latest performer to cut ties with the beleaguered institution since its takeover by President Donald Trump.
“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” Glass said in a post on social media. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
He joins a growing list of artists who have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center since Trump’s overhaul of Washington’s premier arts center. Grammy winner Renee Fleming canceled performances set for May, the institution announced on its website. More performers, including banjo player Béla Fleck and singer Sonia De Los Santos, as well as groups such as the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Seattle Children’s Theater, have also canceled planned shows.
Trump has made rebranding the Kennedy Center a priority since returning to the White House early last year. He axed several members from the center’s board and installed himself as chair in February 2025, later bringing on longtime ally Richard Grenell to serve as interim executive director.
In December, the newly reformed Kennedy Center’s board voted to add the president’s name to the building. One lawmaker, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio member of the board, sued in protest.
Trump has also taken a personal interest in a refurbishment of the Center, including overseeing details down to the theater’s armrests.
Glass, 88, is one of the country’s most celebrated living composers, an early pioneer of minimalism in classical music and famous in part for scores in films such as 2002’s “The Hours” and “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carrey.
“We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision,” Roma Daravi, the institution’s vice president of public relations, said in a statement. “We have not cancelled a single show. Leftist activists are pushing artists to cancel but the public wants artists to perform and create—not cancel under pressure from political insiders that benefit from creating division.”
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