She was not the only high-profile departure. Singer and songwriter Ben Folds said he would also resign his post as an adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, which is overseen by the Kennedy Center.
“Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic adviser to the NSO,” Folds wrote on Instagram. “Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra — just the best!”
Rutter said in a statement about her departure that it had been the honour of her career to lead the institution, which, in addition to a performing arts centre, is a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy. She did not describe being 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,” she said. “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.”
The Kennedy Center has historically been run by bipartisan boards in the past. On Monday, the Trump administration officially removed 18 board members who had been appointed by President Joe Biden, and the board chair, financier David M. Rubenstein.
The center posted a revised list of board members on its website overnight. It is now entirely made up of appointees of Trump.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
