Washington National Opera latest to leave Kennedy Center after Trump takeover
By Kanishka Singh and Bhargav Acharya
WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) – The Washington National Opera will leave the Kennedy Center, the two organizations announced on Friday, marking the latest departure of the famous Washington arts institution since President Donald Trump and his allies took over.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to request an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and to resume operations as a fully independent, nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a media statement.
The opera’s artistic director, Francesca Zambello, told the Guardian in November that he could vacate his seat of more than 50 years after box office revenues collapsed and donor confidence was “shattered” following the Trump takeover.
A spokesperson for the center said it had “made the difficult decision to part ways with WNO due to a financially difficult relationship,” adding that the departure “allows us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
Trump named himself president of the Kennedy Center and packed its board with his allies last year. In December, the institution’s board of trustees voted to rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or Trump Kennedy Center for short.
Since then, many groups and artists have withdrawn from the center, citing the Republican leader’s takeover. Democrats, noting that the center’s name was established by Congress, said Trump’s rebranding had no force of law. John F. Kennedy’s family denounced the decision as undermining the assassinated president’s legacy.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by William Mallard)
