Saturday, January 24, 2026

Opera Great Renee Fleming Cuts the Rest of Her Ties to the Kennedy Center, Bows Out of National Symphony Orchestra Concert

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Opera great Renée Fleming has cut her last ties to the Kennedy Center.

Fleming has canceled her appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra on May 29 and 30, 2026 at the Kennedy Center

The news turned up on the Kennedy Center’s page for the concert, reading: “Renée Fleming regrets that, due to a scheduling conflict, she must withdraw from her May 2026 concerts with the NSO. A new soloist and repertoire will be announced at a later date, and the remainder of the program remains unchanged.”

Fleming had already stepped down as an advisor to the Kennedy Center almost a year ago after Trump and friends took over the arts center.

Trump and Tricky Dick Grenell have systematically destroyed the Kennedy Center, especially with the illegal renaming of it placing Trump’s name on the front door. There’s an endless list of cancellations by artists too disgusted to perform here. The Washington National Opera has moved out, as well.

So what’s left? Dribs and drabs, non union productions of Broadway shows. mostly nothing. Trump set his sights on wrecking the Kennedy Center the way he has also trashed CBS News. He will leave a legacy of shit for biographers to write about for decades. But at least there will be marble armrests.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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