When President Donald J. Trump took control of the Kennedy Center in 2025, Ben Folds was quick to resign from his position as artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra. In the months that followed, the venerated performing arts venue endured canceled shows, rounds of layoffs, internal drama, and eventually a renaming to the Trump-Kennedy Center. (Last week a federal judge ordered Trump’s name be removed from the building.) Now, Folds has shared an open letter regarding the fate of the NSO and his larger fears for the Kennedy Center.
In his letter, Folds declares that it’s “time for an outpouring of public support and love for our nation’s symphony orchestra” because it “may not survive.” He points out that there’s currently “no plan or solution in sight” to save the NSO, but notes that a large wave of support from the public could turn the tide.
“Currently there’s no announcement for programming for the NSO’s upcoming season,” he continues. “All other orchestras have announced theirs by now because planning is always about 18 months ahead of performances. The NSO doesn’t even know if it has a home, given the previously announced two-year closure of the Kennedy Center. This is a very bad sign. Further, the tools for survival are entangled in the Kennedy Center’s legal and financial troubles. Tools such as the NSO’s endowment fund which is tied to a bank note. We all probably know there was a recent court ruling to remove the illegal addition of Trump’s name on the building and to restore political independence to the Kennedy Center. This is good but not the time for a victory lap because it’s going to be a long messy process to get this all back to a healthy situation.”
Folds goes on to articulate specific ways that journalists, donors, and fans of orchestral music can help impact the future of the orchestra. You can read the full letter here.
