We have thousands of human-written stories, discussions, interviews and reviews from today through the past 20+ years. Find them here:
Could Closing the Kennedy Center Sink the National Symphony Orchestra?
On Sunday night U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to announce a proposal to close the newly renamed Trump Kennedy Center for two years, starting on July 4, 2026 (Independence Day in the U.S.), to begin construction on a new entertainment complex in its place. The proposal is subject to board approval, according to the same post.
The Kennedy Center.
The two-year shuttering of the Kennedy Center would most certainly have implications for the National Symphony Orchestra, a Kennedy Center "artistic affiliate" which rehearses and performs at the venue for most of its year-round season, during which it gives about 180 concerts. The Kennedy Center contributes some $10 million a year to the NSO’s $42 million budget, under its affiliate agreement that has been in place since 1986, according to the New York Times.
The Kennedy Center, which underwent a major expansion and renovation in 2019, has been embroiled in controversy since Trump took over as chairman of its board in February 2025, ousting Democratic board members, purging much of its professional staff and canceling certain already-scheduled events for political reasons. In December, Trump-appointed members of the board voted to rename the center the "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," or the "Trump Kennedy Center."
The result has been a rash of boycotts and cancellations over the last year, the latest by composer Philip Glass. The Washington National Opera, in residence at the center since 1971, announced its decision to leave the Kennedy Center on Jan. 9.
Ticket sales for performances at the Kennedy Center have plummeted in the last year, with attendance down by about 50 percent for National Symphony Orchestra concerts, according to the New York Times.
Specific plans about the nature of the new entertainment center were not revealed, nor were any provisions for current tenants of the center.
Related stories:
- Philip Glass Pulls Symphony Premiere from Kennedy Center
- NSO Musicians and Kennedy Center Reach Tentative Deal after Brief Strike
- J.D. Vance Booed at the Kennedy Center: Violinist Kavakos Responds
* * *
Enjoying Violinist.com? Click here to sign up for our free, bi-weekly email newsletter. And if you've already signed up, please invite your friends! Thank you.
Replies
You must be registered and logged in to submit a comment.
February 2, 2026 at 10:50 PM · Discussed on NPR's All Things Considered radio show. By coincidence it aired just as I was opening Laurie's post.