Renée Fleming cancels Kennedy Center concerts in protest against Donald Trump’s name change
The soprano Renée Fleming has officially cancelled two scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center, after President Donald Trump‘s takeover of the venue.
Fleming, widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest opera singers, resigned as artistic adviser to the Centre almost a year ago, when Trump began to get his grip on the cultural institution.
Now, the official website reads that she has withdrawn from two May concerts with the orchestra “due to a scheduling conflict”. A new performer will be announced soon, the statement promised. Her team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the New York Times.
Upon stepping down from the Kennedy Center as an artistic adviser, Fleming shared, “I’ve treasured the bipartisan support for this institution as a beacon of America at our best. I hope the Kennedy Center continues to flourish and serve the passionate and diverse audience in our nation’s capital and across the country.”
Since then, the president has filled the board with his supporters. He also hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in December. In comparison, Fleming sang at Biden’s inauguration and was honoured by the former president during his term.
Fleming also performed during the Washington National Opera’s annual gala. The opera also recently announced that it was leaving the Kennedy Center after over five decades, due to the consequences of Trump’s intervention.
However, following the opera’s announcement, a spokesperson for the new Trump Kennedy Center claimed that the decision was made by the site, and not the opera: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship.”
Further, several other artists have cancelled upcoming performances in response to Trump’s move to rename the institution. On January 6th, Béla Fleck cancelled his upcoming performance at the Kennedy Center, explaining online that “Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music.”
Additionally, Wicked composer Steven Schwartz, who was due to host the Washington National Opera Gala at the Kennedy Center on May 16th, has also confirmed he will no longer be participating in the event. Other notable entertainers such as Issa Rae, Peter Wolf, and Lin-Manuel Miranda had cancelled performances in reaction to Trump’s newly-appointed board.
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