The Kennedy Center keeps taking hits that have us — and much of D.C. — wondering about its long-term future.
This week, composer Philip Glass, a 2018 Kennedy Center honoree renowned for his pioneering contributions to modern music, announced he no longer wants his Symphony No. 15 to be performed at the center. Glass has expressed deep concern about the institution’s direction and leadership. And yesterday, Kevin Couch, the new SVP of artistic programming, resigned, less than two weeks after his hire was announced.
But the recent departure of the Washington National Opera from its longtime home at the Kennedy Center felt different from all the others. We recently spoke to The Washington Post’s Philip Kennicott, longtime art critic, who helped explain the chaos and why the opera exit has signified a pivotal moment in the city’s cultural landscape.
A view of the rebranded center on Jan. 10. (Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Following Trump’s takeover and rebranding as “The Trump Kennedy Center” late last year, the center has faced new demands for productions to be fully funded before the show, now having to function as a for-profit business model. Previously, funding for the center came from ticket sales and private funding. This decision, along with the political takeover and artist protests, has led to boycotts, plummeting ticket sales, and financial turmoil with donors withdrawing.
Kennicott says the changes to the center “made it toxic to a lot of the people who buy tickets and who donate to the center.” The fallout extends beyond the opera, with the National Symphony Orchestra now also facing existential threats due to declining attendance and donor withdrawals.
And Kennicott says the boycott has been effective. A recent investigation by The Post found that Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump’s takeover, with 43% of seats unsold on an average night — compared to around 90% of tickets sold in fall 2024.
The opera’s departure has created a “really, really powerful impact, unfortunately,” Kennicott says. Boycotts have snowballing effects, which come with social and peer pressure on other artists to consider following suit.
On the subject of the boycott and the Kenney Center’s future, Kennicott says there’s a distinction between the shows and the artists being brought in by the current leadership of the center and the organizations like the Symphony and the Opera. “[The Symphony and the Opera] didn't ask to be a part of this [...] Not buying a ticket to a show that's being presented by the Kennedy Center is sending a very clear message to the Kennedy Center leadership. Not buying a ticket to the National Symphony Orchestra is sending a much more complicated message, mainly to people who are not going to receive it, like the President.”
So are we at a moment of existential threat to the very existence of a cultural institution in Washington, D.C.? Listen to our latest episode to hear our conversation with Kennicott.
