Washington's National Symphony Orchestra Moves Season Away From Closed Kennedy Center

Gianandrea Noseda, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, opened the orchestra's season on Sept. 26 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, rather than at its longtime home. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington closed to the public on Sept. 15, after months of declining ticket sales, boycotts and litigation in federal court over the addition of President Trump's name to the building's facade. Trump took control of the center in early 2025, dismissing members of the board of trustees and Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter.

The 95-year-old orchestra has played at the Kennedy Center since the complex opened in 1971. Noseda, who has led the ensemble for nine years, said the closure caught him off guard. "It was absolutely unexpected," Noseda said. "The news of the closing of the Kennedy Center came like a cold shower."

Noseda and the musicians lined up six concert halls across the greater Washington region for the current season. Season announcements normally go out in early spring; this year the schedule was not released until mid-August, because the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees had to approve the budget first. The season plan arrived six weeks before the first concert, which took place 11 days after the center locked its doors.

Ticket revenue for the season is projected to fall by about half, and donations by a quarter from August. The Kennedy Center's development department absorbed deep cuts. Former executive director Jean Davidson left her post in March, citing turmoil at the center as the reason.

Anne Midgette, former classical music critic for The Washington Post, described the financial strain plainly. "It's a huge setback in economic terms," Midgette said. "It's a much reduced season." She also called the season across multiple halls an "acid test" for public support of the ensemble.

Rick Barber, associate principal double bassist, joined the orchestra in 1995. "We were stunned at first, honestly," Barber said of the closure. "And the months after that, there was definitely a lot of uncertainty, I would say, anxiety." Noseda extended his contract through 2031 after Rutter's dismissal. "I thought that would have been a little bit too easy," Noseda said, "and may I use the word 'coward' to leave that situation." The season will run roughly half as many concerts as a normal year.

The orchestra performed works by Carlos Simon, Tchaikovsky and Respighi at Strathmore on Sept. 26. Other symphonies have not fared as well: the Phoenix Symphony has shut down, and Midgette pointed to the cost of tickets and travel as one reason audiences stay away. Noseda said he believes in the orchestra's role going forward. "I strongly believe in the value of the art, and the music can really still bring people together."