Béla Fleck pulls out of Kennedy Center concerts

Béla Fleck announced on Tuesday that he had withdrawn from three concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, becoming the latest artist to forgo playing at the venue amid changes from the Trump administration. Mr. Fleck, an 18-time Grammy Award winner, was scheduled to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra in February, including George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." In a social media post he said, "Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music," and added, "I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art." The Kennedy Center updated its listing to say he had pulled out because of "personal issues." Lin Ma, the orchestra's principal clarinetist, is listed as his replacement and will perform Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto.

His album "BEATrio," with Edmar Castañeda and Antonio Sánchez, received a Grammy nomination for best contemporary instrumental album. The Kennedy Center and representatives for Mr. Fleck and the National Symphony Orchestra did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Other performers who have recently withdrawn from Kennedy Center events include Stephen Schwartz, Chuck Redd and the jazz septet the Cookers.

It is not clear whether Mr.

Key Topics

Culture, Béla Fleck, Kennedy Center, National Symphony Orchestra, Lin Ma, Trump Administration