National Symphony director joins Kennedy Center exodus
Jean Davidson, the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, is leaving Washington, D.C., to become executive director and CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.She had planned to stay through the Kennedy Center’s 100th anniversary in 2031, but said it became harder to pursue their goals amid what she described as the politicization of the center under President Trump.
The article notes a broader pattern of upheaval at the Kennedy Center, including the building being renamed to include Trump’s name and leadership shifts orchestrated by Trump, such as appointing himself as board chairman and bringing in Richard Grenell. Davidson told the Los Angeles Times that external forces beyond her control made it tough to achieve the center’s objectives, though she called leading the NSO a great honor and looked forward to collaborating with the center’s musicians and staff.
Despite the exodus, the national Symphony Orchestra will maintain its long-standing residency at the Kennedy Center, while the Washington National Opera decided to end its residency there and perform at other venues in the city. In other developments, the center announced a two-year renovation beginning July 4, with costs cited up to $200 million. Rep.Joyce Beatty has filed a court motion to block the planned closure and renovation, continuing her stance against Trump’s influence at the center.
National Symphony director joins Kennedy Center exodus following Trump moves
The Trump Kennedy Center has lost the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, marking the latest departure from the performing arts venue after the building was renamed and its leadership overhauled by President Donald Trump.
Jean Davidson is leaving Washington, D.C., for Los Angeles to serve as executive director and CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The Wallis announced her appointment on Friday.
Davidson, who assumed her former role at the Kennedy Center in April 2023, intended to stay in the nation’s capital until the orchestra celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2031. However, she revealed it was hard to ignore Trump’s politicization of the Kennedy Center in the past year.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she said, “I … found it more and more difficult to achieve the goals that we had set out to achieve given the external forces that are at work that are just so far beyond my control.”
Although the circumstances of her departure weren’t ideal, Davidson told the Associated Press it was a “great honor” to lead the National Symphony Orchestra and to “work alongside Gianandrea Noseda, Steven Reineke, the extraordinary musicians, and the dedicated staff and board.” She is looking forward to joining the Wallis.
Multiple back-to-back waves of a mass exodus have plagued the Kennedy Center for months, especially ever since the board added Trump’s name before former President John F. Kennedy on the building’s exterior in December. Earlier last year, Trump appointed himself as the board’s chairman and named U.S. envoy Richard Grenell as the Kennedy Center’s leader.
Grenell said he “enjoyed working” with Davidson to “cultivate new donors and patrons while cleaning up the financial mess” at the Kennedy Center, according to the Associated Press.
Following Trump’s actions, the Washington National Opera decided to end its long-running residency at the Kennedy Center in January and start performing at other venues elsewhere in the city. Despite the institutional changes, the National Symphony Orchestra is retaining its decadeslong residency.
BEATTY ASKS COURT TO STOP KENNEDY CENTER CLOSURE AND RENOVATION
In another unexpected move, Trump announced last month that the Kennedy Center will close for a two-year renovation period, starting July 4. The extensive project, which Trump described as “fully financed,” is expected to cost up to $200 million.
On Friday, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) filed a court motion seeking to block the planned closure and renovation of the recently renamed center. The congresswoman, who’s an ex-officio trustee of the board, has been critical of Trump’s influence at the Kennedy Center. In December, Beatty filed a lawsuit challenging the renaming of the center.
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