Washington National Opera Shows Solidarity, Shares Minnesota Opera’s Statement on Alex Pretti Murder

Washington National Opera is showing solidarity to the Minnesota Opera and Minnesota community. The D.C. company shared Minnesota Opera’s statement regarding the protests and said, “We stand with our colleagues at Minnesota Opera and with all those impacted by the heartbreaking events unfolding in Minnesota.” It added, “We are sharing this statement from Minnesota Opera President & General Director Ryan {…}

Jan 21, 2026

John Adams, Joyce DiDonato, Isabel Leonard, Kevin Puts Anthony Roth Costanzo, & Thomas Hampson Among Artists Who Pledge Support to Washington National Opera

Following the departure of the Washington National Opera’s decision to leave the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, more than 60 artists have signed an open letter pledging support to the company. The letter, which is an ongoing effort organized by Pulitzer and Grammy-award winning librettist Mark Campbell, states “We, the undersigned, support the recent decision between Washington {…}

Jan 16, 2026

Washington National Opera Announces New Venues & Updated Spring Programming

The Washington National Opera has announced its spring performances after leaving the Kennedy Center. The company said it was set to premiere of a new version of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha” directed by Denyce Graves and Robert Ward’s “The Crucible,” starring J’Nai Bridges and Ryan McKinny, both taking place at Lisner Auditorium in George Washington University, the same venue where WNO gave {…}

Jan 12, 2026

Washington National Opera Launches New Website; Kennedy Center’s Rick Grenell Throws Trump-Like Tantrum Over Breakup

The Washington National Opera has launched a new website with information about its program. The new website includes a letter signed by Andy Pharoah, Timothy O’Leary, Francesca Zambello, and Eric Larsen in which they announce the end of the company’s partnership with the Kennedy Center. The letter writes that “the Center’s current Board and leadership established a new business model that {…}

Jan 9, 2026

AGMA Releases Statement Following Washington National Opera’s Decision to Leave Kennedy Center

AGMA has released a statement regarding the Washington National Opera’s decision to leave the Kennedy Center. The union said “AGMA is aware that the Washington National Opera Board has voted to sever its affiliation with the Kennedy Center. We will follow developments as more information becomes available, with our focus on supporting AGMA Artists at WNO. AGMA will consider the {…}

Jan 9, 2026

Washington National Opera to Leave Kennedy Center

The Washington National Opera has announced it is leaving the Kennedy Center. In a statement to The New York Times, the company said, “Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity.” According to the article, the Opera’s {…}

Jan 6, 2026

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

Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the musical “Wicked,” has canceled his commitment at Washington National Opera following the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The composer said that “Last year, way before the change of Board and name of the Kennedy Center, I was invited by (director) Francesca Zambello to be part of a Washington {…}

Dec 31, 2025

Richard Grenell Blames ‘Left Wing’ Administration for Recent Kennedy Center Cancelations

Richard Grenell, the Executive director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is slamming artists for canceling performances. Grenell took to X stating, “The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership. Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned about booking far left political activists rather than artists {…}

Dec 6, 2025

Q & A: Puerto Rican Soprano Kresley Figueroa on Her Upcoming Metropolitan Opera Debut, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra & Performing with Regional Orchestras

(Credit: Soloman Howard) Puerto Rican soprano Kresley Figueroa is a graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist with Washington National Opera where she has performed in numerous productions including “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” “Partenope,” “La Périchole,” and “The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me.” She has also appeared alongside Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, and Denyce Graves in WNO’s annual gala. Figueroa {…}

Nov 8, 2025

Washington National Opera Considers Exiting the Kennedy Center

UPDATE: On the Record: Andy Pharoah, President of the WNO Board of Trustees has said in a statement “The WNO has no plans to move out of the Kennedy Center and we are proud to be part of America’s cultural center, entering our 70th season.” The Washington National Opera (WNO) is considering leaving the Kennedy Center. In a report from {…}

Oct 27, 2025

Joélle Harvey Announced for Washington National Opera’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’

Soprano Joélle Harvey is set to join the cast of the Washington National Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro.” In her house debut, the soprano will take on the role of Susanna, joining a cast that stars Rosa Feola, Will Liverman, Le Bu, John Holiday, and Elizabeth Bishop. Robert Spano conducts the production, which opens on Nov. 14, {…}

washington national opera