Composer Philip Glass has withdrawn his Symphony No. 15, a commissioned work honoring Abraham Lincoln, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of its scheduled premiere by the National Symphony Orchestra in June. Glass informed the center in a letter on Tuesday, stating that the Kennedy Center's current values are in direct conflict with the symphony's message, calling the decision an obligation. He joins soprano Renée Fleming in severing ties, while the Washington National Opera has already relocated due to low attendance. The center's board voted to add President Donald Trump's name to the institution in December, a move questioned for its legality and opposed by Kennedy family members and Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty.
This withdrawal matters because it underscores the deepening ideological rift between the Kennedy Center and its artistic community following the Trump administration's overhaul of the institution. Glass's action highlights how political pressures are driving prominent artists away from major cultural venues, threatening the center's reputation and its relationships with resident organizations like the National Symphony Orchestra. The controversy also raises broader questions about the politicization of arts institutions and the legal limits of board actions, with potential implications for federal arts policy and donor confidence.