National Symphony Orchestra cuts season after Kennedy Center closure

The National Symphony Orchestra will perform roughly half its usual number of concerts this season after losing its home base at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The closure of the Kennedy Center on September 15 left the 95-year-old ensemble without its primary concert hall, forcing musicians to seek alternative spaces in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

The disruption followed a period of declining ticket sales, public boycotts, and a federal court dispute regarding the addition of President Trump's name to the building's exterior. Trump assumed control of the center in early 2025 after removing several board members and president Deborah Rutter. The NSO has performed in the Kennedy Center since its opening in 1971.

Gianandrea Noseda, the music director who has led the orchestra for nine years, described the news of the closure as a shock. "It was absolutely unexpected," Noseda said. "The news of the closing of the Kennedy Center came like a cold shower. And my first reaction was, 'What will we do now if we don't have our home?'"

The orchestra spent weeks securing six temporary venues to host its season. The schedule was announced in mid-August, only six weeks before the opening concert. This delay occurred because the NSO had to wait for budget approval from the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. The opening performance took place just 11 days after the center closed its doors.

On September 26, the ensemble traveled to the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, to begin its season. The program featured new works by Carlos Simon alongside pieces by Tchaikovsky and Respighi. Anne Midgette, a former classical music critic for The Washington Post, noted that the orchestra faces a severe financial challenge. "It's a huge setback in economic terms," Midgette said. "It's a much reduced season."

According to a report in The Washington Post in August, ticket revenue is expected to fall by about half. Donations are projected to drop by a quarter, partly due to large reductions in the Kennedy Center's development staff. The orchestra has also lost key personnel, including executive director Jean Davidson, who departed in March citing the turmoil at the center.

Rick Barber, the associate principal double bassist who joined the NSO in 1995, said the musicians are coping with the uncertainty. "We were stunned at first, honestly," Barber said. "And the months after that, there was definitely a lot of uncertainty. I would say, anxiety." Barber remains confident that the group will continue, focusing on the music rather than the political divisions surrounding the center.

Noseda extended his contract with the orchestra through 2031 instead of seeking a new position after the leadership changes at the Kennedy Center. "I thought that would have been a little bit too easy," Noseda said. "And may I use the word 'coward' to leave that situation. When you are a music director, you are a leader, of course. But you have to serve the orchestra, the music and the community."

The season will test audience loyalty as the orchestra performs in various halls across the region. Midgette described the upcoming months as an acid test for public interest in symphonic music. "How many people really do care?" she asked. "How many people are vitally interested and invested in the orchestra? And I will say that this season, in all these different halls, is going to be a real acid test."

The NSO concludes its opening night with a performance of Respighi's music at the Bethesda venue. The group will continue its reduced schedule in the coming months while the status of the Kennedy Center renovations remains unresolved.