Kennedy Center Orchestra Faces 2-Year Shutdown as 61 Musicians Lose Work After Cancellations
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 25
Kennedy Center Orchestra Faces 2-Year Shutdown as 61 Musicians Lose Work After Cancellations
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 25
61 Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra musicians are confronting an uncertain future after months of cancellations left the ensemble largely idle; it last performed together in February.
President Donald Trump's takeover of the center drove several companies away from Washington, with “Hamilton,” the San Francisco and New York City ballets, and eventually the Washington National Opera pulling back.
Those departures gutted the orchestra's performance-based pay and emptied a building once busy with daily rehearsals and productions, leaving musicians demoralized and the center unusually quiet.
July now looms as a bigger threat: the Kennedy Center is scheduled to close for a two-year renovation, extending the disruption beyond the current political fallout.
What future awaits the Kennedy Center’s 61 orchestra musicians as their hall closes for two years?
As its main stage goes dark, how will Washington's vibrant arts scene fill the void?
Can a cultural landmark reclaim its prestige after mass artist withdrawals and a prolonged shutdown?