Philip Glass Withdraws Symphony No. 15 from Kennedy Center

Renowned composer Philip Glass has withdrawn his Symphony No. 15, a work portraying Abraham Lincoln, from its scheduled world premiere at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The decision, announced on Tuesday, affects performances set for June 12 and 13 by the National Symphony Orchestra under conductor Karen Kamensek.

Glass, 88, cited a fundamental mismatch between the symphony's themes and the center's current direction. In a statement released by his publicist and shared on social media, he explained: "After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 Lincoln from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 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 piece, originally commissioned six years ago to mark the center's 50th anniversary, draws from Lincoln's 1838 Lyceum Address and had been delayed from its initial 2022 target.

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not...