Philip Glass, 88, announced on Tuesday that he would no longer allow the premiere of his Symphony No. 15, Lincoln, to take place at the Kennedy Center under its current leadership. The work, which was scheduled for performances on 12 and 13 June, had been billed as a major cultural event at the venue.
In a statement, Glass said the symphony is a musical portrait of Abraham Lincoln and that he believes the present direction of the Kennedy Center conflicts with the values embodied in the work. He added that he felt obligated to withdraw the premiere while the institution remains under its current leadership.
Glass, a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, is the latest high-profile artist to distance himself from the venue following sweeping changes introduced after President Donald Trump began his second term in early 2025. The president replaced much of the center’s board of trustees and has pursued controversial shifts in both governance and branding.
In December, the administration announced the renaming of the internationally known arts complex to the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” a move that coincided with a wave of cancellations by musicians and performers critical of the administration’s cultural policies.
Critics say the White House’s campaign against what it labels “woke” culture has increasingly politicized arts institutions and discouraged artistic participation. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s governing board, criticised the leadership overhaul, telling the Guardian that the new managers were more interested in self-interest than stewardship of the institution.
Glass’s decision comes against a backdrop of broader controversy facing the administration, which has also been dealing with public backlash over federal law enforcement actions during a mass deportation campaign, including the fatal shooting of two US citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.