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Stephen Schwartz withdraws from Kennedy Center event
January3
US Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz has confirmed that he will not take part in a programme centred on his work that had been advertised by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for May 16, 2026.
In a statement Schwartz said he would not appear at the venue, citing concerns about recent changes to its governance and direction. “It no longer represents the apolitical place for free artistic expression it was founded to be,” the statement said. “There’s no way I would set foot in it now.”
Schwartz’s decision comes amid a broader backlash from artists following a series of controversial governance changes at the Kennedy Center, including the installation of a board aligned with the Trump administration and the use of the president’s name in branding for the venue. Critics have argued that these moves undermine the center’s long-standing position as a politically neutral national arts institution, prompting concerns over artistic independence, curatorial freedom and reputational risk.
Schwartz said he was originally invited to participate by artistic director Francesca Zambello before changes to the Kennedy Center’s board and leadership. He added that, even if the event were to proceed, he would decline to be involved on principle.
Following media reports about Schwartz’s withdrawal, Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for what is now being branded as the Trump Kennedy Center, issued a statement saying that Schwartz had never been contracted. “Stephen Schwartz was never discussed nor confirmed and never had a contract by current Trump Kennedy Center leadership,” the statement said, adding that reports suggesting otherwise were inaccurate.
Despite that response, Schwartz’s name and image remained on the centre’s main calendar page for several hours after the statement was issued, with tickets still available for purchase. All references to Schwartz were removed from the site later that day.
Schwartz is the latest in a growing number of artists to distance themselves from appearances at the venue following recent board decisions, including the move to append the current president’s name to the Kennedy Center.
His withdrawal carries particular symbolic weight: Schwartz co-wrote Mass, the work that opened the Kennedy Center in 1971, in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein.
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