Renowned composer and pianist Philip Glass announced he will be pulling his world premiere from the Kennedy Center, becoming yet another artist to cancel their scheduled appearance at the theater that has been remade in Donald Trump’s image.
Glass, who is just days away from his 89th birthday, announced his decision in a statement to the Washington Post. The composer was scheduled to perform his new and highly-awaited Symphony No. 15: “Lincoln” at the Kennedy Center this June. Glass said he could no longer perform under the Kennedy Center’s current leadership.
“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 ‘Lincoln’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” Glass wrote in his statement. “Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
Glass, a recipient of a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, was also awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018.
Symphony No. 15: “Lincoln” was jointly commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra. After several delays, the piece was finally set to be performed at the center this summer as a part of its “250 Years of Us” program.
Glass’s statement comes after President Donald Trump took control of the cultural institution. Last February, Trump terminated “multiple individuals” from the center, replacing its longtime chairman, David Rubenstein, with himself. On Dec. 19, the president added his name to the center, unofficially but effectively renaming it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Since then, a slew of artists who have distanced themselves from—or outright condemned—the Kennedy Center in recent months
That list includes the Washington National Opera, which left after more than 50 years of residency; Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming; America’s oldest dance troupe, The Martha Graham Dance Company; folk singer Kristy Lee; and Grammy-winning bluegrass performer Béla Fleck.
Ticket sales at the center have fallen sharply in 2025, according to data collected by the Washington Post. The annual Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by none other than Donald Trump this past December, also attracted its smallest-ever audience.
Trump has attempted to justify the downfall of the center since his involvement. “People don’t realize that The Trump Kennedy Center suffered massive deficits for many years,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 26. “And, like everything else, I merely came in to save it and, if possible, make it far better than ever before!
