Today, Aug. 18, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) revealed the locations of its upcoming concerts now that its home for more than a half-century is closed.

NSO Music Director Gianandrea Noseda was the only official who commented on the record about the season announcement. Trump’s name was included twice in the joint statement by the NSO and the Kennedy Center, which cited his “strategic direction” as Kennedy Center chair and “vision for a revitalized institution.”

While the Orchestra plans to rehearse at the Kennedy Center during the reconstruction and to keep its office and music library there, it will not perform at the Center. The nearly 60 performances scheduled for the 2026-27 season will take place at six venues across the DC region. These venues include the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University, the Lincoln Theatre on U Street, the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, George Mason University’s performing arts center in Fairfax, the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall in Alexandria, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. It was also announced that former Music Director Leonard Slatkin is scheduled to appear during the season as a guest conductor.

The announcement comes amid severe financial turmoil for the orchestra and five days after the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted a second time to close the performing arts venue for two years of renovations. The Washington Post reported that, NSO tickets sales declined from 72% of capacity in 2024 to 58% in 2025 to 41% last season.

Noseda acknowledged that it has been challenging to program the season but said the repertoire for this season remains same as if he had planned for performances to take place at the Kennedy Center. Noseda said, “I have to give credit to the people of the NSO who really tried to find a solution back in late February and March. We immediately moved very quickly to find alternative venues and we were in contact with more than the six where we will play. We always found open doors.”

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