American Composer Philip Glass announced on social media this morning (Jan. 27) that he has canceled the world premiere of his new symphony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In a brief statement, he stated that the values of his new symphony, titled Lincoln, were not in line with those of the Kennedy Center.

“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 ‘Lincoln’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” Glass wrote. “Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”

The premiere was scheduled for June 12 and 13, and the symphony was commissioned by The Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra as part of the “250 Years of Us” program, marked to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Grammy-winning conductor Karen Kamensek was scheduled to be guest conductor.

Glass’s announcement further contributes to a wave of cancellations at the Kennedy Center following its renaming in December 2025 to “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The center was renamed by the board of trustees, all of whom were hand-selected by President Donald Trump, and although the center cannot officially be renamed without an approval from Congress, the center has updated its name on their website, and added Trump’s name to the building’s façade.

Since Trump’s hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center, many artists have canceled their scheduled performances there, including comedian Issa Rae, jazz supergroup The Cookers, and the musical Hamilton, among others. Neither the Kennedy Center, nor its acting president, Richard Grenell, have commented on Glass’ cancellation, although Grenell has been known to respond aggressively to cancellations on social media in the past.

See Glass’ statement below: