Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: New York Times

Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center

The opera, which has performed at the arts center since 1971, was concerned by declines in attendance and donations during President Trump’s second term.

13m ago


Washington National Opera officials contend that exiting the Kennedy Center would also give it more control over programming decisions.Kenny Holston for The New York Times

Jan. 9, 2026, 5:40 p.m. ET

The Washington National Opera decided on Friday to move its performances out of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, abandoning the hall where it has played since 1971 in perhaps the largest artistic rebuke yet to President Trump’s campaign to remake the Kennedy Center in his image.

The opera company is seeking to sever its ties with the Kennedy Center after a tumultuous year in which both groups have faced cancellations by artists, empty seats and the retrenchment of donors protesting Mr. Trump’s intervention. Within weeks of beginning his second term, the president named himself chairman of the center and installed a political ally, Richard Grenell, as its executive director, while filling its board with supporters.

A resolution to leave was approved by the Washington National Opera’s board of trustees on Friday, according to a statement the opera provided to The New York Times.

Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.

Adam Nagourney is the classical music and dance correspondent for The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/adam-nagourney

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/arts/music/washington-national-opera-kennedy-center.html

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Hat tip, Joe.My.God.

https://www.joemygod.com/2026/01/washington-national-opera-to-leave-kennedy-center/

Washington National Opera To Leave Kennedy Center
January 9, 2026

[UpInArms]

1. ETTD

nt

[generalbetrayus]

2. Ted Nugent and Kid Rock will form their own opera company.

[Permanut]

7. This would be great..

With Nikki Minaj and Carrie Underwood

[leftieNanner]

11. Can Scott Baio sing?

[riversedge]

24. ++++

[melm00se]

25. He did

when he was in "Joanie loves Chachi". It became the basis for this rather pathetic and short-lived spinoff.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

26. I would not be surprised if he put out an album with his brother Jimmy.

I'm not too inclined to look it up right now.

[mwooldri]

13. I don't think they could even put on a good soap opera.

And even then they'd have issues finding a sponsor. Unless Trump launches a detergent brand. You know, for whiter whites ...

[cilla4progress]

3. Good for them

[Trueblue1968]

17. This is huge

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Glad they decided to do that.

It might trigger others to pull up stakes and move on.

[farmbo]

5. Let's celebrate with a drink!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v5gfNqjAjxQ

[NJCher]

9. that gave me chills

True professionals like this are not going to work at a venue that's been bastardized by a clown like trump.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. More slots available for Vanilla Ice and Kid Rock.

[underpants]

8. Damn. I mean DAYum.

[70sEraVet]

10. Maybe trump can get the J6 chorus to perform the National Anthem --

Unless those guys are too busy with their ICE jobs!

[Exp]

12. Are we WINNING yet?? FUCK TRUMP!!! nt

[Wounded Bear]

14. Sad to hear it, but I support their decision to the max...

Especially in the "would also give it more control over programming decisions" reason. That's pretty important to a true artist if they have any choice at all. Hitler forced his rather dry and political version of "art" on the Germans and it was pretty blah at best. Mostly it was just bad art.

[Beacool]

15. I only have one thing to say.

FAFO!!!

[pfitz59]

16. Bravo!

I applaud the decision.

[mysteryowl]

18. Understandable move.

[fierywoman]

19. I wonder if/when the National Symphony will leave ...

[LudwigPastorius]

29. That may difficult for the NSO board to do.

https://www.notus.org/us-news/kennedy-center-national-symphony-orchestra-donald-trump-name-change#

The orchestra entered into an artistic affiliation agreement with the (Kennedy) center in 1986, which helped the orchestra cover its expenses. The NSO plays many of its 175 or so concerts each year at the Kennedy Center, making it one of the center’s biggest and most consistent draws.

There is no immediate threat of the NSO leaving the Kennedy Center altogether, as members on both the NSO board and the Kennedy Center board must agree to terminating their agreement.

-snip-

One former NSO employee who also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution told NOTUS that the agreement has left the NSO “intrinsically bonded operationally and financially.”

[fierywoman]

30. I'm so glad I'm a retired (professional) classical musician -- what terrible times working

musicians are facing in these years. FWIW, I worked with Noseda (LA Opera) and my *purely personal* sense of him is that he is, shall we say, very sympathetic to the right politically.

[LudwigPastorius]

31. Regardless of Noseda's professed desire to make a concert hall an apolitical space,...

you would think that he would take the historical example of Fürtwangler seriously, and think about how collaboration with the Trumpists is going to affect his legacy.

And yes, my sympathy goes out to the musicians of the NSO. It must be hell to have to go to work every day in a building with Trump's name on it.

[WestMichRad]

20. TSF lays another Fecal Bump.

Everything he touches turns to shit.

[BaronChocula]

21. New performance spaces to be announced in coming weeks

That's according to cheapo freebie news.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/washington-national-opera-leave-kennedy-center-wake-trump-renaming-rcna253244

[Botany]

22. Well Carrie Underwood* is always available.

Hint for Trump. People who listen to opera are educated, listen to NPR & PBS, and are
sophisticated. So they would be happy to listen to the National Opera in a different venue
that doesn’t have your name on it.

*

[Bayard]

23. Really sad

Do they have another venue?

If they lose all their revenue, will they just shut down the place? They should leave trump's name on there then, and take off Kennedy's. Everything trump touches, dies

[Turbineguy]

27. Operas are definitely longer than trump's attention span.

[DrMJG10]

28. Wonderful!!!

To the company I shout: Bravi!!! Bravissimi!!!