Ben Folds has written an open letter urging public support for the National Symphony Orchestra amid ongoing financial and operational challenges at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The orchestra faces uncertainty following political changes and a recent court ruling on the venue's name.
Folds, who resigned as the National Symphony Orchestra’s artistic advisor after Trump became chairman of the Kennedy Center, highlighted the orchestra’s struggles in the letter. He stated that the NSO “may not survive” and noted there is “currently no plan or solution in sight to save the organization.” The letter comes after a US judge ruled last week that the Kennedy Center cannot be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center without congressional approval, reversing an earlier board decision from late last year. Folds described the court order as good but warned it is “not the time for a victory lap because it’s going to be a long messy process to get this all back to a healthy situation.” A spokesperson for the center said they will appeal the ruling. Trump posted on social media that he will work with Congress to transfer the institution back to them, saying the judge and others would rather see it die than allow transformation. Folds emphasized that the public can help by providing overwhelming support to address the turmoil from the presidential takeover and related legal issues.
