Philip Glass cancels Kennedy Center symphony premiere in protest of Trump’s leadership
Prize-winning composer Philip Glass has called off a scheduled world premiere at the Kennedy Center of a symphony about Abraham Lincoln, the latest in a wave of cancellations since President Donald Trump ousted the previous leadership.
Glass’ Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln,” was to have been led by Grammy-winning conductor Karen Kamensek for performances on June 12 and June 13.
“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 in a statement released Tuesday by his publicist. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
Roma Daravi, the center’s vice president of public relations, responded in a statement, “We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision.”
Glass, who turns 89 on Saturday, was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2018. Three years earlier, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by then-President Barack Obama.
https://apnews.com/article/philip-glass-kennedy-center-cancellations-d29fda6fa3ea80dcdc7ded1033d6c04e
Glass’ Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln,” was to have been led by Grammy-winning conductor Karen Kamensek for performances on June 12 and June 13.
“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 in a statement released Tuesday by his publicist. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
Roma Daravi, the center’s vice president of public relations, responded in a statement, “We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision.”
Glass, who turns 89 on Saturday, was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2018. Three years earlier, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by then-President Barack Obama.
https://apnews.com/article/philip-glass-kennedy-center-cancellations-d29fda6fa3ea80dcdc7ded1033d6c04e
