The National Symphony Orchestra is being affected by the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Performer Béla Fleck announced that he is withdrawing from his Feb. 19, 21, and 22 performances due to the name change. He took to social media and said, “I have withdrawn from my upcoming performance with the NSO at The Kennedy Center.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.”

Fleck is the latest performer to withdraw from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following Stephen Schwartz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Cookers, Doug Varone and Dancers, Kristy Lee, Chuck Redd, and the team of “Fellow Travelers.”

In response to the announcement Executive Director Richard Grenell lashed out on X and said, “You just made it political and caved to the woke mob who wants you to perform for only Lefties. This mob pressuring you will never be happy until you only play for Democrats. The Trump Kennedy Center believes all people are welcome – Democrats and Republicans and people uninterested in politics. We want performers who aren’t political – who simply love entertaining everyone regardless of who they voted for.”

The National Symphony Orchestra has announced that NSO Principal Clarinet Lin Ma will replace him and will perform Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.

Read Related Stories 

• Stephen Schwartz Cancels Washington National Opera Gala Following Renaming of John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts