Washington National Opera to leave Kennedy Center after Trump 'takeover'

WASHINGTON, DC: The Washington National Opera (WNO) announced on Friday, January 9, that it is moving its performances out of the John F Kennedy Center, making it one of the most significant departures from the institution since President Donald Trump's takeover.

The Kennedy Center has been home to the WNO since it started in 1971. Opera leadership stated that alternative venues within DC have been looked for, though no leases have yet been finalized, the opera mentioned in its statement.

WNO to resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity

The Washington National Opera said in a statement to the New York Times, "Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity."

Meanwhile, a separate website appears to be set up for the opera. Interestingly, Several artists have cancelled their Kennedy Center performances in response to Trump’s takeover of the institution. 

In March 2025, Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller said in a social media post that "our show simply cannot, in conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center". 

Meanwhile, actor and producer Issa Rae, Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens, Peter Wolf and rock band Low Cut Connie, also called off Kennedy Center performances. 

WNO’s artistic director, Francesca Zambello, had said in November 2025 that the move was a possibility as a result of the "takeover" of the center by the POTUS. Trump declared himself the chair of the institution last February and soon fired and replaced its board and leadership.

Moreover, Zambello also mentioned the collapse in box office revenue and "shattered" donor confidence. She also said that ticket sales were about 40 per cent unsold compared with before Trump declared himself the chair.

Kennedy Center changed bylaws months before board added Trump's name

Months before a board unanimously voted to add President Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, the institution quietly changed its bylaws in a move that narrowed voting authority and sidelined congressionally designated trustees.

The changes, which were adopted in May and first reported by The Washington Post, came ahead of a December 18 vote that rechristened the landmark arts institution as 'The Donald J Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.' This sparked legal concerns, political backlash, and a wave of artist cancellations. 

As per the revised bylaws obtained by the outlet, only presidentially appointed trustees were permitted to vote or be counted toward a quorum. Meanwhile, trustees designated by Congress, known as ex officio members, were explicitly excluded from both roles.

Legal experts informed WaPo that the revisions may conflict with the Kennedy Center's federal charter, which establishes the institution as a living memorial to President John F Kennedy and outlines its governance without distinguishing between voting and nonvoting trustees.

The bylaw corrections were approved months before Trump completed a sweeping reshuffle of the board last February, where her removed members he had not appointed and consolidated control among loyalists.