The Washington National Opera has announced it is set to leave the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in the latest significant upheaval since President Donald Trump became involved with the venue.
The Kennedy Center, which was recently renamed the Trump Kennedy Center in a potentially illegal move, has been the opera company’s home since 1971.
In a statement to The New York Times, the WNO said: “Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity.”
The company said its board of trustees voted to move all its upcoming performances out of the Kennedy Center’s 2,364-seat Opera House. They intend to find new locations in Washington, D.C., but no leases have yet been signed.
Following the WNO announcement, a spokesperson for the Trump Kennedy Center told The Independent: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship.
“We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
The opera company said in a statement to the Washington Post that support previously provided by the venue had now been eliminated, and productions would now be required to be fully funded in advance.
“Opera companies typically cover only 30-60% of costs through ticket sales, with the remainder from grants and donations that cannot be secured years ahead when productions must be planned,” the company said.
Their artistic director, Francesca Zambello, added that she was “deeply saddened” to leave.
“I have been proud to be affiliated with a national monument to the human spirit, a place that has long served as an inviting home for our ever-growing family of artists and opera lovers,” she told the Post. “In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision.”
Jazz supergroup The Cookers pulled out of a series of New Year’s Eve concerts, with saxophonist Billy Harper saying: “I would never even consider performing in a venue bearing a name (and being controlled by the kind of board) that represents overt racism and deliberate destruction of African American music and culture.”
Artists, including Issa Rae, Peter Wolf, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, have also withdrawn from Kennedy Center performances since Trump returned to office.
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