Main points
-
Three-time Oscar-nominated composer and Kennedy Center laureate Philip Glass has canceled performances of his symphony at the Kennedy Center.
-
Glass cited “direct conflict” with the center’s leadership appointed by Donald Trump.
-
The musician was nominated for his film work time, Scandal Notesand Kundun.
Three-time Oscar-nominated composer and Kennedy Center winner Philip Glass has canceled a planned performance inspired by Abraham Lincoln at the Kennedy Center, citing a “direct conflict” with President Donald Trump’s leadership at the historic venue.
Glass, 88, issued a brief statement on social media on Tuesday announcing that he would not be performing the world premiere of his new symphony Lincoln at the Washington Performing Arts Center.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my 15th Symphony, ‘Lincoln,’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” Glass wrote on X, using the full name of the Kennedy Memorial, which Trump has tried to change in recent months to his own.
Glass, nominated for Academy Rating Scandal Notes, timeand Kundun”, continued, “The Fifteenth Symphony is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the symphony’s message. Therefore, I feel obligated to withdraw this symphony’s premiere from the Kennedy Center under current leadership. “
According to the Kennedy Center website, Lincoln Two performances are scheduled for June 12 and June 13, with the synopsis calling it “a new production that brings one of America’s most iconic figures to life.”
entertainment weekly Representatives for Glass and the Kennedy Center have been contacted for comment.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
Glass’s decision comes after many other artists, including Issa Rae, withdrew from Kennedy Center events during Trump’s second term. evil Composer Stephen Schwartz and musician Chuck Redd recently canceled their annual Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center for the past two decades.
Another jazz band, the Cookers, also pulled out of a planned New Year’s Eve concert at the Kennedy Center in the wake of the controversy surrounding Trump and his administration.
Clive Coote/Fox Searchlight
Trump’s move to rename the Kennedy Center grounds drew strong criticism, especially from Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who even filed a lawsuit against the board, citing laws that barred anyone from turning the Kennedy Center into a memorial to a person or organization other than JFK, who was assassinated in 1963.
Kennedy’s niece Kerry Kennedy has also said she intends to remove Trump’s name – which was added to the exterior of the venue – from the building after he completes his second term.
Read Glass’ statement on canceled premiere Lincoln The Kennedy Center above.
Read the original article in Entertainment Weekly