Overview
- Béla Fleck withdrew from his February 19, 21 and 22 performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying the focus at the venue has shifted from music to politics.
- The Kennedy Center updated its concert listing to note Fleck’s exit and said the program will now feature NSO principal clarinet Ling Ma performing Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.
- Fleck joins a growing list of cancellations that includes composer Stephen Schwartz, jazz group the Cookers, and choreographer Doug Varone’s company.
- The withdrawals follow a December board vote to append Donald Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after he reshaped the board and became its chair.
- Reporting has pointed to steep drops in ticket sales and attendance since the leadership changes, and coverage notes that legal challenges to the renaming have been filed.