Before the news that the Kennedy Center was being renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, there was already a slew of protests after Donald Trump appointed himself Kennedy Center chairman, including Ben Folds resigning as National Symphony Orchestra’s Artistic Advisor. Now the protests are reaching a fever pitch, and the Washington National Opera is leaving the Kennedy Center where it has performed since the venue opened in 1971.
A resolution to leave was approved by the Washington National Opera’s board of trustees on Friday (Jan. 9) “Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” a statement from the opera to The New York Times read. It added that new sites in Washington have been lined up but no leases have been signed.
Opera leaders told the newspaper that the departure was in response to a drop in attendance and a decline in donor contributions during the president’s second term, in addition to the rising number of artists who have refused to appear at the Kennedy Center because of the renaming of the building.
Roma Daravi, a spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center, told The New York Times, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the W.N.O. due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
On social media, the center’s executive director Richard Grenell wrote, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”
Earlier this month banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz also canceled performances.
