After more than five decades as the venue’s resident ensemble, Washington National Opera has parted ways with the Kennedy Center, marking the most significant departure in the institution’s history. The split highlights deepening tensions at the national performing arts center, now renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, amid a surge of artist cancellations and financial disputes.
Living Memorial Faces Name Change Backlash
Congress established the Kennedy Center in 1964 as the nation’s sole memorial to President John F. Kennedy under Public Law 88-260, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The center’s board, restructured under new leadership, voted in December to add “Trump” to its name, prompting swift criticism from the Kennedy family for undermining the original legacy. Legal experts note that such a change requires congressional approval, and Trump’s name soon appeared on the building’s exterior despite the unresolved status.
Wave of Cancellations Grows
In February 2025, incoming leadership fired several trustees, including former chairman David Rubenstein, and appointed Donald Trump as board chair. The all-new board unanimously confirmed him, while Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany, was appointed interim executive director. These changes signaled a full institutional shift, including threats of legal action against artists who canceled appearances.
A cascade of performers pulled out following the announcement of the renaming. Jazz drummer Chuck Redd canceled his annual Christmas Eve concert, which he had hosted since 2006, prompting Grenell to threaten a $1 million lawsuit for what he called intolerance. Grammy winner Béla Fleck withdrew from National Symphony Orchestra dates, describing the venue as overly politicized.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller scrapped a Hamilton run, with Miranda deeming it incompatible with the show’s values. Stephen Schwartz, composer of Wicked, backed out of a gala. Doug Varone and Dancers forfeited a $40,000 fee for April shows but raised over $42,000 via crowdfunding. Even the U.S. Marine Band, founded in 1798, canceled a concert for young musicians of color after an executive order ended diversity programs.
Financial Strains and Endowment Fight
Ticket sales at the Kennedy Center hit pandemic-era lows, with 43 percent of seats unsold for major productions. The Washington National Opera reported a 40 percent drop in ticket revenue and a decline in donor confidence following the leadership change.
A key dispute centers on the company’s $30 million endowment, with both sides claiming rights under an agreement reached during the Obama administration. Opera leaders plan to relocate performances regardless, launching a standalone website and scouting new Washington venues without public disclosure.
Reduced Season and Future Plans
Founded in 1957 as the Opera Society of Washington, the company premiered Alberto Ginastera’s Beatrix Cenci at the Kennedy Center’s 1971 opening. Now, it will scale back its spring season for fiscal caution, featuring Treemonisha, The Crucible, and West Side Story at yet-to-be-named sites outside the 2,364-seat Opera House. A House committee advanced renaming that space the First Lady Melania Trump Opera House as part of a spending bill pending full approval.
Kennedy Center officials, including spokesperson Roma Daravi, framed the split as a decision due to the partnership’s expense, which allowed for global opera bookings. Grenell claimed millions in new donations and dismissed cancellations as selfish. The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors drew a record-low 2.65 million viewers, a 35 percent decrease. Artists voiced fears of career retaliation but prioritized convictions. As negotiations drag and boycotts persist, the center’s role as a cultural beacon hangs in balance, testing its adaptability amid political divides and funding pressures.
Sources
“Washington National Opera Says It’s Leaving the Kennedy Center” — CBS News
“Trump Elected Chairman of Kennedy Center, Replaces Board Loyalists” — Fox 5 DC
“Lin-Manuel Miranda Cancels ‘Hamilton’ Run at ‘Trump Kennedy Center’” — Rolling Stone
“‘Wicked’ Composer Stephen Schwartz Says He’ll Back Out of Kennedy Center Event” — NBC News
“Kennedy Center Board Votes to Rename it ‘Trump Kennedy Center’” — CNN
“2025 Kennedy Center Honors Viewership Drops 26% To Record Low” — Barrett Media