NSO Plays Half Season In New Halls
Ticket revenue and donations have dropped sharply since the Kennedy Center closed in September, leaving the 95-year-old group to perform across six different venues.
By Haruka Ricci ·
The National Symphony Orchestra is playing in rented halls this season.
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., locked its doors on Sept. 15. That move left the 95-year-old orchestra without its home.
The closure followed months of falling ticket sales, boycotts, and a federal court fight over adding President Trump's name to the building. Trump took control of the center in early 2025 after firing board members and president Deborah Rutter.
The orchestra now performs across six venues in the greater Washington region. Music director Gianandrea Noseda led the group for nine years before this disruption.
"It was absolutely unexpected," Noseda said. "The news of the closing of the Kennedy Center came like a cold shower. And my first reaction was, 'What will we do now if we don't have our home?'"
The season announcement came in mid-August, only six weeks before the first concert. The opening performance happened 11 days after the Kennedy Center shut down.
On Sept. 26, the orchestra played at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Md. The program included new work by Carlos Simon, Tchaikovsky, and Respighi.
Anne Midgette, a former classical music critic for The Washington Post, called the situation a mess. She worried the orchestra might not have a season at all because of its deep ties to the Kennedy Center.
The Washington Post reported in August that ticket revenue is expected to fall by about half. Donations are projected to drop by a quarter. The center cut its development department significantly.
Jean Davidson, the former executive director, left her post in March. She cited the turmoil at the Kennedy Center as the main reason for her departure. The orchestra is now missing most of its former staff.
Rick Barber, associate principal double bassist, joined the NSO in 1995. He described the months following the closure as filled with anxiety. He does not believe the group will fold.
"I'm like any other normal person when I'm going about my non-musical life, anxiety happens," Barber said. "And I see the political divisions in our nation. But when I'm playing music, I don't think about those at all."
Source: WBAA
