Renowned American composer Philip Glass has abruptly pulled the scheduled premiere of his newest work from the Kennedy Center.
Glass announced on Tuesday he pulled the world premiere of his newest work, “Lincoln,” because of an irreconcilable clash between his artistic message and the direction of the institution’s leadership.
“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,” Glass said. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
Glass framed his withdrawal as a matter of principle, not partisanship.
The piece, co-commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center, was slated for performances on June 12 and 13 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The symphony draws on writing and speeches from Abraham Lincoln, including his 1838 Lyceum Address, as musical reflections on unity and democratic ideals.
Glass, 88, has long been celebrated and received a Kennedy Center Honors award in 2018.
The cancellation is one of many high-profile defections, as artists distance themselves from the Kennedy Center following President Donald Trump’s takeover and renaming to the Trump-Kennedy Center, where he assumed control of the board of trustees and installed himself as chairman.
In a statement, the Kennedy Center criticized artists boycotting for political reasons.
“We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision,” Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “We have not canceled a single show. Leftist activists are pushing artists to cancel but the public wants artists to perform and create—not cancel under pressure from political insiders that benefit from creating division.”
Last December, the board voted to rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Nonvoting members of the board rebuked the decision, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), an ex-officio board member.
“It’s a disgrace,” Jeffries said at the time. “It’s an embarrassment.”
The Washington National Opera ended its long-term partnership after more than 50 years at the venue, though it didn’t cite the renaming as the reason.
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The WNO said the new business model, which requires productions be fully funded in advance, and low ticket sales were the reason for its exit.
Prominent artists such as Renee Fleming and banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck have cited similar concerns when pulling scheduled appearances.