Philip Glass Withdraws Symphony Debut From Kennedy Center

Philip Glass has joined the growing list of musicians distancing themselves from the Kennedy Center with the announcement that he is withdrawing his symphony premiere due to a “direct conflict” with the Center’s values.

Glass took to social media to explain his reasoning for pulling his work. “After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 ‘Lincoln’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” he wrote. “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. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”

Glass, who was awarded at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, was scheduled to debut “Lincoln” with two performances in June. A representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

Artists have been steadily canceling their performances since President Donald J. Trump took over as the Center’s chairman and replaced much of the board at the start of 2025. Just last week, legendary soprano Renée Fleming dropped out of an appearance at the venue scheduled for May, which the Center’s site explained was due to a scheduling conflict.

Others who have pulled out of shows have included Stephen Schwartz, Béla Fleck, Issa Rae, the Cookers, a production of “Hamilton” and more. Earlier this month, Fleck revealed he would no longer be performing at the Center, stating that “[p]erforming there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music.”