US EditionComposer Philip Glass withdraws 'Lincoln' symphony from the Kennedy Center
Philip Glass cites a values conflict under new leadership after President Trump’s takeover, joining a growing list of artists withdrawing from the Kennedy Center, including Renée Fleming and Bela Fleck.
- On January 27, 2026, Philip Glass announced he was withdrawing his Symphony No. 'Lincoln' from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, cancelling its planned June 12 and June 13 premieres.
- Amid the center's rebranding and board overhaul last year, Philip Glass said the Kennedy Center's values under President Donald J. Trump's takeover clash with the symphony's message.
- A prominent figure in modern classical music, Philip Glass, 2018 Kennedy Center honoree, had the symphony commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center for June 12-13, 2026, performances led by Grammy-winning conductor Karen Kamensek.
- Removing the premiere leaves the NSO and the '250 Years of Us' program altered, with Kennedy Center officials not immediately responding.
- Glass's move adds momentum to a wave of withdrawals that over the past year and in recent weeks included Renée Fleming, Béla Fleck, and the Washington National Opera amid Trump's chairmanship and board changes.
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40 Articles
The acclaimed American composer Philip Glass announced on Tuesday that he will withdraw the world premiere of his Lincoln symphony from the Kennedy Center, the great arena for the performing arts of the U.S. capital, because he considers that “the values of his work conflict with those of the center,” currently taken by the Donald Trump administration.
Composer Philip Glass has canceled his planned performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In a letter to his orchestra, Glass wrote that “the…
Philip Glass cancels Kennedy Center premiere of 'Lincoln' symphony amid massive upheaval
World-renowned composer Philip Glass abruptly canceled June's world premiere of Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln' at the Kennedy Center, saying its message is in direct conflict with the values of the venue under the Trump administration.
Philip Glass withdraws his ‘Lincoln’ symphony from the Kennedy Center, citing conflicting values
Philip Glass has withdrawn his symphony based on Abraham Lincoln from the Kennedy Center, with the award-winning composer writing to the board of the arts institution that its values conflict with the work.
"The values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct contradiction with the symphony message," the 88-year-old American composer justified.
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