As Donald Trump and Elon Musk run rampant over Washington, a lot of people have been fired or resigned. That number now includes Ben Folds. The piano man had been serving as the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra, but per The Hollywood Reporter, he's out of there now that Trump is taking over the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts.
"Given the developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO," Folds wrote on social media. "Not for me." He continued, "It's been a wonderful 8 years working with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter, fellow artistic advisor Renee Fleming, NSO artistic administrator Justin Ellis, and the entire NSO staff, encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate the symphonic music. Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra – just the best!"
The NSO's home base is in the Kennedy Center, the national cultural center of the United States, which hosts performances of many kinds year-round and holds the Kennedy Center Honors each December. Folds deleted his statement from Instagram, but it remains posted in a thread on Bluesky.
Deborah F. Rutter, who has served as the Kennedy Center's president since 2014 and was planning to retire at the end of this year, also announced her departure. According to the New York Times, she was fired. "The goal of the Kennedy Center has been to live up to our namesake, serving as a beacon for the world and ensuring our work reflects America," Rutter said in a statement. "I depart my position proud of all we accomplished to meet that ambition. From the art on our stages to the students we have impacted in classrooms across America, everything we have done at the Kennedy Center has been about uplifting the human spirit in service of strengthening the culture of our great nation."
On Monday, Trump appointed Richard Grenell, his former ambassador to Germany and acting Director of National Intelligence, as the center's interim executive director. Per Trump, Grenell "shares my Vision for a GOLDEN AGE of American Arts and Culture" and promising that the center would no longer provide a showcase for "ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA." Today Trump announced on his social media network Truth Social that he had been elected chair of the Kennedy Center.
As many have already noted, these developments bode extremely well for Ted Nugent and Kid Rock.
Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO.
Not for me.
It’s been a wonderful 8 years working with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter, fellow artistic advisor Renee Fleming, NSO artistic administrator Justin Ellis, and the entire NSO— Ben Folds (@actualbenfolds.bsky.social) February 12, 2025 at 2:31 PM
staff, encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music. Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation symphony orchestra - just the best!”
— Ben Folds (@actualbenfolds.bsky.social) February 12, 2025 at 2:31 PM
