Overview
- The composer withdrew the June world premiere of Symphony No. 15, commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra, citing a clash between the Center’s current values and the work’s message.
- The symphony, titled Lincoln, draws on the 1838 Lyceum Address warning of threats to democracy and was slated as a centerpiece of the Center’s 250 Years of Us programming.
- Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said politics has no place in the arts and called politically motivated boycotts the wrong decision.
- National Symphony Orchestra CEO Jean Davidson said the orchestra admires Glass and learned of his decision at the same time as the press.
- The premiere’s new location and timing remain undecided as cancellations and exits—from Hamilton to the Washington National Opera—follow governance changes under President Trump and president Richard Grenell.