Conductor Leonard Slatkin Addresses Programming Changes at The Kennedy Center

Slatkin has said, "Staying away from the Kennedy Center will only accelerate its decline. Go to what you wish and avoid those events that do not appeal to you."

This month, the Kennedy Center has undergone major changes as implemented by the Trump Administration, including concert cancellations and leadership turnovers. 

Recently, conductor Leonard Slatkin, who served as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra (resident at the Kennedy Center) from 1996 to 2008, has responded to an opinion piece in The Washington Post. 

Written by Mark Fisher, the opinion article addresses the changes being made in the arts sector by President Trump, especially at The Kennedy Center. 

“The coming months at the Kennedy Center will confront artists with a decision: bail out, perform as scheduled, or, the best alternative, stick it out and push the envelope against the Musk-Trump agenda,” Fisher wrote on Facebook as a premise to his article. 

“I am reminded of what Leonard Bernstein said following the assassination of JFK: ‘This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before,’” Slatkin began in his response. 

“Artists must stand up to what is now occurring,” he continued. “And audiences should not be depriving themselves of great art. Staying away from the Kennedy Center will only accelerate its decline. Go to what you wish and avoid those events that do not appeal to you. Perhaps JFK himself said it best: ‘..art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.’ The artist ... faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an offensive state.”

In additional comments on his post, Slatkin added the following: 

“It is a personal decision on whether or not to perform at the Center. Personally, I would rather try to rehearse and play for an audience that wants to see and hear me,” he said. “What would be the point in preparing and working so hard, only to step away out of an unknown fear of reprisal? I would rather get fired and stand up for my beliefs. But that is purely my thinking. I understand why some people do not wish to do it this way.”

“With that line of thinking, if all artists withheld their performance, the [Kennedy] Center and other related organizations would close permanently,” he said, addressing the comments made by his followers. “That is not good for anyone. But, I understand what you are saying. It will be a difficult decision for anyone. I would use the performance opportunity to address the issue, perhaps from the stage directly.”