Renée Fleming Becomes Latest Star to Drop a Kennedy Center Engagement

The Kennedy Center has misplaced another considered one of the few remaining stars on its 2026 schedule, as the legendary soprano Renée Fleming has dropped out of an look at the embattled venue beforehand scheduled for May.

Although many of the musicians who’ve bowed out of appearances there have made observe of the political toxicity that has made it tough for title artists to fulfill their engagements, a discover on the Kennedy Center’s web site blames her exit on an issue along with her schedule

“Renée Fleming regrets that, due to a scheduling conflict, she must withdraw from her May 2026 concerts with the NSO,” the discover reads. “A new soloist and repertoire will be announced at a later date, and the remainder of the program remains unchanged.”

Fleming was set to sing with the National Symphony Orchestra and conductor James Gaffigan.on May 29-30.

Fleming has a strong and up to date connection to the heart: She was celebrated with an award at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023. That was prior to President Donald J. Trump taking it over as its chairman in a coup and changing a lot of the board together with his associates and associates at the starting of 2025.

A consultant for Fleming didn’t instantly reply to Variety‘s request for remark.

On Jan. 16, the Martha Graham Dance Company said it was withdrawing from acting at the heart in April. “The Martha Graham Dance Company regrets that, for a variety of reasons, we are unable to perform at the Kennedy Center in April,” the company said in a assertion. “We hope to perform at the center in the future.”

Among others who’ve pulled out of exhibits since the politicized takeover are Stephen Schwartz, a manufacturing of “Hamilton,” Béla Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, Issa Rae, Sonia De Los Santos, the Cookers, Magpie, Kristy Lee, the comedy troupe Asian AF, Balún and considered one of the Kennedy Center’s anchor points of interest for many a long time, the Washington National Opera.

Few big-name acts stay on the schedule for the remainder of this 12 months. The checklist of those still scheduled is led by right-leaning comedian Adam Carolla, Jeff Foxworthy, Tony Hinchcliffe and R&B singer Tyrese.

The heart’s president, Richard Grenell, who repeatedly tweets his conservative positions on Twitter, has gone after other performers who’ve pulled out, saying they’re the ones politicizing the venue.

When the banjo participant Fleck canceled his look this month, he wrote, “I have withdrawn from my upcoming performance with the NSO at The Kennedy Center. Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music. I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art.”

Grenell’s heated response: “You just made it political and caved to the woke mob who wants you to perform for only Lefties.”

In December, when jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled a New Year’s Eve look, Grenell despatched him a letter saying he can be sued for $1 million in damages. There has been no subsequent indication that a lawsuit will likely be filed against any of the artists canceling exhibits.

The board lately voted to rename the facility the Trump-Kennedy Center, although many have argued that it will take an act of Congress to rename a national presidential memorial, so many continue to refer to it as merely the Kennedy Center, given questions over the legality of the title change.