Philip Glass withdraws premiere of new symphony from Kennedy Center
Classical composer Philip Glass has withdrawn the premiere of his latest symphony from the Kennedy Center, due to the values imposed on the arts institution by Donald Trump.
The musician’s 15th symphony, titled Lincoln after the 16th president of the US, was set to premiere at the world-famous venue on June 12th and 13th this year, but he has now withdrawn from the premiere venue as he feels it is in “direct conflict” with his work.
Glass announced the news via Instagram on January 27th, writing in a statement: “After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 Lincoln from the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
He added: “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. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
Under the first year of Trump’s second term as president, he has sought to overhaul many of the country’s cultural institutions including the Kennedy Center, which he has now renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center.
The move sparked outrage and condemnation from across the artistic sphere as well as from the Kennedy family, on top of the fact that Trump scrapped all of the institution’s existing board members upon his arrival back in power, as well as instating himself as chair.
Subsequently, Glass has become the latest in a line of artists to withdraw from their appearances at the venue amid Trump’s takeover, with opera singer Renée Fleming and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz being just two of the other names to cancel their planned shows.
Glass, who is known for his compositions in the classical music world as well as film scores including Kundun and The Truman Show, was previously awarded a Kennedy Center Honour in 2018, and previously the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2015.
The Kennedy Center has not publicly responded to the news of Glass’s withdrawal from his premiere of Lincoln at this time.
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