Washington National Opera joins artists exiting Kennedy Center : NPR
NPR••general
Key Points:
- The Washington National Opera is ending its 50-year residency at the Kennedy Center due to new policies requiring productions to be fully funded in advance, which conflict with its traditional financial model relying on a mix of ticket sales, grants, and donations.
- Artistic director Francesca Zambello expressed regret over leaving the Kennedy Center but affirmed the opera's commitment to its artistic mission and plans to explore new venues and performance methods.
- The Kennedy Center, renamed controversially to include Donald Trump's name, has faced numerous artist cancellations and backlash, with performers citing political concerns and opposition to the board's decisions under Trump's leadership.
- Kennedy Center executive director Richard Grenell framed the breakup with the opera company as a decision to allow more diverse programming and criticized artists who canceled
