Philip Glass Withdraws Symphony Premiere in Response to Kennedy Center Leadership Changes

Philip Glass, the distinguished composer recognized with multiple accolades, has taken the significant step of canceling the upcoming world premiere of his Symphony No. 15, titled "Lincoln," which was scheduled to take place at the Kennedy Center. The planned performances, set for June 12 and 13, were to be conducted by Grammy winner Karen Kamensek. The decision follows a series of cancellations by other artists since former leadership at the Kennedy Center was removed by President Donald Trump. In an official statement released on Tuesday via his publicist, Glass expressed that his Symphony No. 15 serves as a portrayal of Abraham Lincoln and the principles he represented. He articulated that the values currently held by the Kennedy Center under its new administration stand in direct opposition to the symphony's thematic message. As a result, he stated feeling compelled to withdraw the premiere of his work from the venue under its present governance. Responding to Glass's announcement, Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations, issued a statement emphasizing that the arts institution does not entertain political agendas. Daravi suggested that boycotts based on political views constitute a misjudgment and do not belong in artistic engagements. Philip Glass, who is approaching his 89th birthday this coming Saturday, was previously honored at the Kennedy Center in 2018. Notably, three years prior to that, he was the recipient of the National Medal of Arts awarded by then-President Barack Obama. The Kennedy Center has recently experienced several artist withdrawals from scheduled performances, with notable figures including Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck among those who have pulled out. The controversies trace back to directives under President Trump’s administration, wherein the appointed board has announced intentions to rename the institution the "Trump Kennedy Center." This development has positioned the center at the forefront of the administration's public discourse surrounding what it terms "woke" culture. Despite objections from scholars highlighting that renaming the center requires congressional action, the name "Trump" has already been affixed to the building’s facade. Glass’s Symphony "Lincoln" draws inspiration from the "Lyceum Address" of 1838, a speech delivered by the young Abraham Lincoln when he was a 28-year-old representative in the Illinois state legislature. The address cautioned against mob violence and highlighted the threats it posed to democratic governance and the rule of law. Lincoln presented this speech to the Young Men's Lyceum, a debating society based in Springfield, Illinois. This evolving situation at the Kennedy Center reveals ongoing frictions within the cultural and political spheres tied to leadership changes, artist relations, and the interpretation of institutional values.