Ben Folds has resigned from his position as the artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Washington, D.C., Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump was elected as the chairman of the Kennedy Center board.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Folds writes, “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO.”
“Not for me,” he adds.
Trump’s board election comes as longtime Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter was fired and several members of the Trump administration were named board members.
In his post, Folds thanks Rutter and the NSO staff for “encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music.”
“Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra – just the best!” he concludes.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
