The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda is among the area’s venues that are benefiting from Washington Performing Arts’ decision announced Thursday to not hold shows at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., following President Donald Trump’s takeover of the institution.
Washington Performing Arts, one of the largest performing arts institutions in the country, said in a news release Thursday that “it will not utilize The Kennedy Center” during its upcoming 60th season, which runs from October through May.
“We thoughtfully match artists and their work with venues that best serve the art, the audience, and the moment. With these considerations in mind, we assessed the variety of artists and performances we have in this upcoming season and decided it was best to explore new spaces that offer fresh possibilities,” a Washington Performing Arts spokesperson said Tuesday.
Instead, the organization will hold performances at Strathmore and four venues in the District. The organization’s Strathmore performances for the 2025-2026 season will include London’s Philharmonia Orchestra on Oct. 27, cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Feb. 3 and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 27.
“We’re just thrilled to know that Washington Performing Arts is going to be here next year with a few more performances than this season, and especially featuring such compelling artists,” Strathmore President and CEO Monica Jeffries Hazangeles told Bethesda Today on Tuesday.
The organization’s scheduled performances join another event that was moved to Strathmore following Trump’s February takeover of the Kennedy Center and cancellation of events to align programming with his administration’s agenda.
“We want to offer access to the arts to the broadest audience possible, and so it’s in our best interest to be open and welcoming and reflective of the full diversity of our community,” Jeffries Hazangeles said.
On June 5, The Music Center at Strathmore will host a WorldPride festival performance that was originally scheduled to be held at the Kennedy Center until it was canceled.
The International Pride Orchestra, a San Francisco-based nonprofit group of international LGBTQ+ musicians, will perform at 7:30 p.m. as part of the being held in the District in June, according to Strathmore’s website. The event will also feature the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. World Pride festival
The concert was among several LGBTQ+-related performances and events scheduled for Pride Month in June that were dropped from the Kennedy Center’s lineup, the Associated Press reported.
In February, a U.S. Marine Corps Band concert featuring high school students of diverse racial backgrounds planned for May in Alexandria, Virginia, was cancelled because of a Trump executive order barring government support of diversity events. In March, a private concert featuring retired military band veterans and the students was then held at Strathmore’s music center, Montgomery Community Media reported.
Freelancer Courtney Cohn is a former Bethesda Today reporter. Bethesda Today reporter Ginny Bixby contributed to this story.
