Overview
- Schwartz said the venue is no longer apolitical and announced he will not appear at the institution under its new name.
- Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello said she invited Schwartz in December 2024 and that he agreed to host and curate a May 2026 gala, sharing a brochure listing him as host.
- Kennedy Center leadership disputed that Schwartz was ever scheduled or contracted, and Richard Grenell called reports of a cancellation bogus, even as ticketing sites promoted him and his name did not appear on the Center’s website.
- Multiple performers have recently canceled, including Chuck Redd, The Cookers, Kristy Lee, and Doug Varone and Dancers, leaving programming gaps over the holidays and into the new year.
- The board voted in early December to add President Trump’s name following a leadership overhaul, updated the facade the next day, and now faces a federal suit from Rep. Joyce Beatty alleging the change violates the Center’s founding law.