If Phillip Glass was smart he would have made it his Lincoln Symphony #16 also
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Posted on 01/27/2026 1:02:53 PM PST by algore
WASHINGTON — Composer Philip Glass announced Tuesday that he is withdrawing his symphony from the Kennedy Center, pointing to the arts center's values and leadership.
"After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln' from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts," Glass announced in a statement posted to X.
"Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony," he continued. "Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership."
Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said in a statement, "We have no place for politics in the arts, and those calling for boycotts based on politics are making the wrong decision."
"We have not cancelled a single show," Daravi continued. "Leftist activists are pushing artists to cancel but the public wants artists to perform and create — not cancel under pressure from political insiders that benefit from creating division."
lass is the latest in a series of musicians to cancel concerts in the wake of President Donald Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center board, which voted last month to include Trump's name in the venue. Artists have pointed to the center's politics or the name change in explaining why they would cancel performances at the longtime Washington fixture of the performing arts.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,”
Does he mean the values Lincoln referred to when he said he had dispensed with the Constitution for the duration of the war?
Liked the X reply ... until today ... no one knew about Philip Glass.
Probably true...especially for the lefty bots who are giddy about this.
Lincoln was very pro-tariff
Lincoln deserves better.
Well Mr. GLASS pick up your fiddles and hit the road
Well, I guess he didn’t need the cash. I would think the musicians would want to get paid.
If Phillip Glass was smart he would have made it his Lincoln Symphony #16 also
Glass’ works The Photographer, Vessels and Facades are three of my favorite. I want to share the music I enjoy, but most people either don’t like it at all or only in very limited amounts.
I am more concerned about one of my wife’s prescriptions going to $1400 for the first month of 2026. Now that is important. Not some hack with an ego problem and a desire to be ‘important’.
I understand his brother George took up with Jan Brady.
Who knew?
That way wacky Senators and Congressmen who want to visit their favorite criminal deportee won't have to buy a plane ticket - just an Uber across town. Then we can reduce congressional travel budgets in the next annual budget.
“Don’t think I can name a single Glass composition off the top of my head. No big loss.”
Was he the guy who wrote a “symphony” with a 4-1/2 minute silence in the middle of it? IIRC I was exposed to his “music” in a c.1975 college humanities class. All I could think was, “You’ve got to be kidding!”
Self-reflection is not in his mindset.
All FR’s resident leftbots are orgasming themselves.
That’s definitely important, and I’m sorry that’s something you’re having to worry about.
Not just us, but all of us old folks. They want to squeeze the last few bucks out of us before we transition to the world to come. Poor little Pharma companies gotta make a living too, I guess.
Same here. I don’t want to derail, but I also really enjoy Max Richter (The Departure Suite...oh my goodness) and Ramin Djawadi. Few of my contemporaries share that enjoyment.
They say that like it’s a bad thing.
I’m a musician, and pride have very eclectic tastes: from Bach to the Beatles, from Van Beethoven to Van Halen, from Liszt to Led Zeppelin, from Berlioz to Black Sabbath, and from Palestrina to Pantera.
I really like nearly all Classic Rock, most Classical, some Country, and a tiny sliver of Hip-Hop.
But I don’t like Philip Glass.
Now I don’t like him even more! LOL!
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