A view of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which the current board is calling the Trump Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on Dec. 26, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
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Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
The Washington National Opera is leaving the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, its home since 1971.
Friday’s news, shared with NPR in a statement via email from the opera company, comes in response to new policies which the 70-year-old performing arts group said strain its financial model.
The Washington National Opera stressed the “amicability” of its decision to end its longtime residency at the Kennedy Center. But it said the center’s new business model, which requires productions to be fully-funded in advance, is incompatible with the usual mix of ticket sales, grants and donations that cannot all be secured ahead.
“Opera companies typically cover only 30-60% of costs through ticket sales, with the remainder from grants and donations that cannot be secured years ahead when productions must be planned,” the statement said.
The company added the model also does not accommodate its artistic mission, which aims to balance popular works such as West Side Story, slated for May 2026, with more obscure and experimental operas, such as the little-known Scott Joplin work, Treemonisha, scheduled for March. “Revenue from major productions traditionally subsidizes smaller, innovative works,” the statement said.
Artistic director Francesca Zambello, who has led the company for 14 seasons, shared her regrets in a statement with NPR, while also looking to the future.
“I am deeply saddened to leave the Kennedy Center,” Zambello said. “In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, Washington National Opera remains committed to its mission and artistic vision. Our repertory will continue to include diverse offerings, from monumental classics to more contemporary works, presented in bold visual productions with first-class musical values.”
In addition to a continued presence for now on the Kennedy Center website, the opera company launched its new independent website within a few hours of its announcement.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the Washington National Opera due to a financially challenging relationship,” the Kennedy Center wrote in an email to NPR on Friday. “We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
On social media, Kennedy Center executive director Richard Grenell said it was the center’s decision to sever ties with the opera company â and not the other way around.
“The Trump Kennedy Center has made the decision to end the EXCLUSIVE partnership with the Washington Opera so that we can have the flexibility and funds to bring in operas from around the world and across the U.S.” Grenell said. “Having an EXCLUSIVE relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”
Grenell reposted his message on Saturday after he was alerted that his X.com account had been hacked and the original message had been removed.
President Donald Trump was appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board in February 2025. His name was added to the Kennedy Center 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.
The Washington National Opera’s departure is the latest and perhaps most significant in a string of artist exits from the cultural institution since Trump took over the institution. Backlash from ticket-buyers, slated performers, and certain board membersâincluding Shonda Rhimesâwas 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 said 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 with a post on Instagram, canceling 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 BĂ©la 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 Democrats. The Trump Kennedy Center believes all people are welcomeâDemocrats and Republicans and people uninterested in politics. We want performers who aren’t politicalâwho simply love entertaining everyone regardless of who they voted for.”
Find a running list of these cancellations below.
Sonia De Los Santos
On Jan. 8, singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos announced on Instagram that she was canceling her upcoming February concert at the Kennedy Center. “As an artist,” wrote De Los Santos, “I treasure the freedom to create and share my music, and for many years I have used this privilege to uplift the stories of immigrants in this country.”
De Los Santos, who was nominated for a Latin Grammy for best children’s album in 2018, stated that “I do not feel that the current climate at this beloved venue represents a welcoming space for myself, my band, or our audience.”
The Cookers
Performing at the Kennedy Center “has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music,” wrote American banjo player BĂ©la Fleck about his scheduled appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra in an official statement posted to Instagram on Jan. 7. “I have withdrawn from my upcoming performance with the NSO at The Kennedy Center,” he wrote. “I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art.”
The 18-time Grammy winner has performed at the Kennedy Center in the past.
Stephen Schwartz
The composer and lyricist for the beloved musicals Wicked, Godspell and Pippin was expected to host a gala fundraiser for the Washington National Opera in May 2026. On Jan. 2, Schwartz announced his withdrawal. According to NBC News, Schwartz reflected that the Kennedy Center was “founded to be a political home for free artistic expression for artists of all nationalities and ideologies.” Today, he said, making an appearance “has now become an ideological statement.”
Richard Grenell quickly responded to Schwartz’s withdrawal, calling it a “bogus” report in a statement posted on X and saying reporters were plagiarizing a “fake @RollingStone story.” Schwartz was “never signed,” Grenell wrote.
Reports from NBC and other outlets, including Variety, have refuted this claim, publishing screenshots showing that Schwartz was promoted on the Kennedy Center’s website prior to his cancellation.
Stephen Schwartz attends the 2025 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Marriott Marquis Times Square on Jun. 12, 2025 in New York City.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
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Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
The seven-piece band of veteran jazz musicians announced shortly before Dec. “We know this news is disappointing,” reads the statement on their website. “We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it. Our hope is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment.”
The statement went on to say, “We remain committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them.”
Chuck Redd, the American jazz drummer and longtime host of the Kennedy Center’s annual Christmas Jazz Jam, chose to cancel his 2025 appearance when he saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, according to a statement sent to the Associated Press.
On Dec. 27, the Kennedy Center 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 principledâthey are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people,” said Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi.
In a letter shared with NPR, Richard Grenell condemned Redd: “Regrettably, your action surrenders to the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left, who have sought to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center.”
Doug Varone and Dancers choreographer Doug Varone spoke out about the name change causing him to cancel his performance at the Kennedy Center. Varone expressed disappointment in the changes and the impact it had on the quality of artistry at the center.
Magpie, the American folk duo, also decided to cancel their concert at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage due to their disagreement with the political branding being imposed on the center. They chose to stand in solidarity with fellow artists who were boycotting performances at the center.
Folk singer Kristy Lee canceled her Kennedy Center performance in protest of the recent efforts to impose political branding on the center. She emphasized the importance of public arts spaces being free from political influence and made the decision out of respect for artistic freedom and the Kennedy Center’s founding mission. Lee decided to host a live-streamed concert instead, titled “Showing Up: From the Kennedy Center to the Couch.”
The Philadelphia rock and roll band Low Cut Connie withdrew their concert scheduled for February 2025 from the Kennedy Center due to recent programming changes. They expressed their concerns in a statement posted on their Facebook page.
Folk singer Rhiannon Giddens also announced her departure from the Kennedy Center lineup in February 2025, citing recent programming changes. She moved her concert, “Old-Time Revue,” to The Anthem concert hall in Washington, D.C.
The Puerto Rican band BaluÌn canceled their Kennedy Center performance set for February 27, 2025, due to the institution no longer aligning with their values. They prioritized their safety, integrity, and commitment to justice.
Actress and creator of HBO’s “Insecure,” Issa Rae, thanked her fans for selling out the Kennedy Center for her event but decided to cancel her appearance due to values infringement on the institution.
In March 2025, “Hamilton” producer Jeffrey Seller announced that the Tony-award winning musical would no longer run as scheduled at the Kennedy Center for political and business reasons. The statement issued by the Kennedy Center expressed concern over the potential cancellation or re-negotiation of their engagement with Hamilton, citing the financial and personal impact it would have on the show’s employees. The new leadership’s actions were criticized for demonstrating a lack of trustworthiness regarding contracts and agreements.
Following the cancellation at the Kennedy Center, Hamilton continued to thrive on Broadway and at venues across the country where its North American touring company performed to sold-out audiences.
In a separate incident, the U.S. Marine Band decided not to participate in the Equity Arc Wind Symphony event due to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) orders. Composer Kevin Charoensri expressed disappointment over the cancellation, attributing it to a shift in federal support for programs promoting equity and diversity of voices.
The U.S. Marine Band, also known as “The President’s Own,” has a long history dating back to 1798 when it was founded by an Act of Congress.
Overall, these events underscore the complex intersection of politics, art, and institutional dynamics in the performing arts industry.
Jennifer Vanasco has edited this story. following sentence:
I am going to the store to buy some groceries.
I am heading to the store to purchase groceries. The document needs to be revised to improve clarity and conciseness.
