The Washington National Opera is the latest to sever its relationship with the rebadged Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The Center had been its home since 1971.

A company spokesperson said the decision was not a political one, but was forced by the Trump–Kennedy Center’s new business model, which requires productions to be fully funded in advance.

“Opera companies typically cover only 30-60 per cent of costs through ticket sales, with the remainder coming from grants and donations that cannot be secured years ahead, when productions must be planned,” the spokesperson said.

Posting on X, the Trump-Kennedy Center’s Director, Richard Grenell, wrote that the Center “made the decision to end the EXCLUSIVE partnership with the Washington Opera so that we can have the flexibility and funds to bring in operas from around the world and across the US.”

“Having an EXCLUSIVE relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety. We approached the Opera leadership last year with this idea, and they began to be open to it. We have spent millions of dollars to support the Washington Opera’s exclusivity, and yet they were still millions of dollars in the hole – and getting worse.”

The Washington National Opera’s production of Aida. Photo @ Scott Suchman.

The Washington National Opera joins a lengthening list of artists to cancel or end their association with the venue since a board of Donald Trump loyalists was installed and the building was renamed on 18 December.

Days following the change, drummer Chuck Redd cancelled his annual Jazz Jams Christmas Eve performance, which had been running since 2006.

Speaking on behalf of The Cookers’ cancellation of their New Year’s Eve performances, band member Billy Harper commented: “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 the deliberate destruction of African American music and culture.”

Other artists to cancel include a touring production of the musical Hamilton, Grammy Award-winning Rhiannon Giddens and Doug Varone and Dancers. Varone stated that the cancellation of their April performances resulted in a loss of US$40,000, which was “financially devastating but morally exhilarating”.

Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz withdrew from the Washington National Opera Gala after previously agreeing to host in 2024. “The Kennedy Center was founded to be an apolitical home for free artistic expression for artists of all nationalities and ideologies. It is no longer apolitical, and appearing there has now become an ideological statement. As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.”

After promptly removing Schwartz’s name from the event website, Grenell took to social media to say: “The artists who are now cancelling shows were booked by the previous far-left leadership. Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned about booking far-left political activists rather than artists willing to perform for everyone, regardless of their political beliefs.”