American composer Philip Glass has withdrawn the scheduled world premiere of his Symphony No. 15, Lincoln from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In what amounts to a rebuke to the institution’s current management and direction, Glass said the values expressed in his musical portrait of Abraham Lincoln — were “in direct conflict” with the Kennedy Center’s new ethos, prompting him to pull the commissioning and premiere from the June calendar.

After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my
Symphony No. 15 ‘Lincoln’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts. 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.

Philip Glass

Philip Glass. Portrait supplied

Glass’s announcement is the latest in a series of high-profile cancellations tied to the Center’s leadership changes, including modifications to its board and the renaming of it as the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Glass’s action prompted a response from President Donald Trump via his Truth Social account:

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

Phillip “BROKEN” Glass, one of the all-time Boring Composers in the History of Music, has decided to grandstand by “pulling” the world premiere of his latest SNOOZEFEST from the “TRUMP”-Kennedy Center. Fine by me!

Quoted in a New York Times report, Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president for public relations, characterised Glass’s decision as a political one. “Leftist activists are pushing artists to cancel, but the public wants artists to perform and create – not cancel under pressure from political insiders that benefit from creating division.”