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Back in 2000, the National Symphony Orchestra commissioned composer Philip Glass to write a symphony honoring Abraham Lincoln. It was supposed to premiere in 2022 as part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’s 50th Anniversary, but Glass didn’t complete it in time, and it was rescheduled for June 2026. Glass has now withdrawn his symphony from the Kennedy Center, saying “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony.” Here’s the full statement:
After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln” from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 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.
The Kennedy Center has been in relative turmoil since Trump fired the organization’s president Deborah F. Rutter, installed Ric Grenell as new president, and made himself Chairman of the Board of the arts institution. Ben Folds, who had been the Orchestra’s artistic advisor, quit as did many other staffers, and many artists who had been scheduled to play the Kennedy Center canceled their shows.
As reported by the New York Times, the National Symphony Orchestra is staying at the Kennedy Center. “We are going to make this work,” Joan Bialek, the Orchestra’s chair, said. “I was born in Washington, grew up with the Kennedy Center, grew up in the N.S.O., and I can’t let it disappear. We will make it through this…Our biggest challenge now is to try to get more people back into the concert hall. We’re working hard on that.”
— Philip Glass (@philipglass)
— Philip Glass (@philipglass) January 27, 2026
English (US) · 