Under Trump, Kennedy Center's Classical Offerings Will (Mostly) Go On

New York Times

27-03-2025

The Kennedy Center's flagship opera company and symphony orchestra announced Thursday that they plan to present robust and fairly typical programs next season, the first full season since President Trump took over the institution.
But one prominent work was missing from the lineup: Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce's 'Fellow Travelers,' an opera set in the 1950s about two men working for the government who become lovers. The work was withdrawn by its creators because of concerns about Mr. Trump's takeover, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times.
Washington National Opera said the 2025-26 season would include classics like Verdi's 'Aida' and less commonly heard works like 'Treemonisha,' an opera by the ragtime composer Scott Joplin. The National Symphony Orchestra is planning warhorses by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich and world premieres by Carlos Simon, the Kennedy Center's composer in residence; Valerie Coleman; and others.
In a sign of the political sensitives at the Kennedy Center, the leaders of the opera and the symphony declined to be interviewed about the new season.
The center has been in flux since Mr. Trump purged its previously bipartisan board of Biden appointees and had himself elected chairman. The president's actions have prompted an outcry, leading some artists to cancel engagements there in protest. The musical 'Hamilton' scrapped a planned tour there next year.
The classical field, in which seasons are planned years in advance, has largely been unaffected. But the creators of 'Fellow Travelers,' an opera based on the 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon, confirmed this week that they were pulling the work, which was supposed to have its Washington premiere next year.
The creators said in a recent letter to Washington National Opera that Mr. Trump's takeover ran counter to the values of 'freedom and liberty for all people' that are highlighted in the opera. 'We have made the impossibly difficult decision that the Kennedy Center is not a place the team feels comfortable having the work presented,' said the letter.
In a statement, the leaders of Washington National Opera, Tim O'Leary and Francesca Zambello, said they were disappointed by the decision to withdraw 'Fellow Travelers.'
'We deeply regret that the creative team of 'Fellow Travelers' has decided to deprive W.N.O. audiences of the chance to experience this opera,' Mr. O'Leary and Ms. Zambello said. 'Art and music have the power to rise above division and bring people together to find common ground. The W.N.O. has long been a place for everyone to enjoy the power of the opera and it will remain a place for patrons of all backgrounds and beliefs.'
'Fellow Travelers,' which is set in Washington and premiered at Cincinnati Opera in 2016, will be replaced by a new production of Robert Ward's 'The Crucible.' It will be conducted by Robert Spano as part of his inaugural season as the opera company's music director.
The season announcement came as the Kennedy Center undergoes significant change under Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany, whom Mr. Trump appointed as the Kennedy Center's new president.
This week, the center gutted a community outreach program known as Social Impact, firing several employees and deleting some references to the program on its website. The program had worked to expand the audience for opera and symphony performances; to commission works by underrepresented voices; and to 'advance justice and equity.' (The Trump administration has shuttered many diversity-themed efforts across the federal government.)
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, who was dismissed as a vice president at the center who oversaw Social Impact, lamented the end of the programs. 'They were wildly successful, they were growing, there was a positive trajectory,' he said in an interview. 'There was no evidence at all that the programs were a detriment to the institution.'
The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request for comment about the cuts. But Donna Arduin, the center's new chief financial officer, wrote in a letter to staff on Wednesday that the center was facing serious fiscal challenges.
'The road out of this economic environment will not be easy and the shift will be felt across the center,' she wrote.
Mr. Grenell, in a social media post on Wednesday, said the center would begin by 'cutting executive pay and downsizing the staff where possible.'
Despite the upheaval, many artists and employees have chosen to stay on. The conductor Gianandrea Noseda recently renewed his contract as music director of the National Symphony through at least 2031.
And Mr. Simon, the center's composer in residence, said in an interview that he would maintain his affiliation, saying he felt his music could 'reflect what's happening in the world — unapologetically.' Mr. Simon, who will premiere a double concerto for violin and cello next season with the National Symphony, said he felt he had creative freedom at the center.
'Now is not the time to pull back,' he said. 'Now is the time for artists to create.'