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 leadership indicated that a decline in ticket sales and cancelations led to the decision. It also noted that alternative venues in Washington, D.C. have been identified for the rest of the season and will be announced at a later date.

Artistic Director Francesca Zambello added, “I am deeply saddened to leave the Kennedy Center…I have been proud to be affiliated with a national monument to the human spirit, a place that has long served as an inviting home for our ever-growing family of artists and opera lovers.”

In response to the announcement a Kennedy Center spokesperson said, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”

Executive director Richard Grenell then responded via X with contradictory statements. First he said, “The Trump Kennedy Center has made the decision to end the exclusive partnership with the Washington Opera so that we can have the flexibility and funds to bring in operas from around the world and across the U.S.”

He added that the Washington National Opera’s “ticket sales in 2024 comprised only 4% of total ticket revenue across the Center making the Opera 8% of combined revenue but 16% of combined expenses for us. Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”

Then Grenell celebrated the Washington National Opera’s departure and admitted it was the company’s decision stating, “We were very pleased that the current Opera leadership was so willing to end their exclusivity.”

The news comes weeks after the Kennedy Center was renamed after President Donald Trump. It also comes months after Artistic Director Zambello suggested it would leave the center due to declining ticket sales. It also comes after numerous artists such as Stephen Schwartz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Cookers, Doug Varone and Dancers, Kristy Lee, Chuck Redd, and the team of “Fellow Travelers” canceled performances.

Read Richard Grenell’s now deleted tweets: