Marin Alsop Speaks Out About Trump and the Kennedy Center

Conductor Marin Alsop © Andrej Grilc

In a recent interview with NPR, the conductor Marin Alsop spoke out regarding Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover. Alsop has kept her Kennedy Center engagements, unlike many prominent artists.

Ear to the ground: Last week, Marin Alsop was interviewed by NPR’s Scott Simon for the program’s “Weekend Edition.” In the midst of rehearsals with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Alsop was questioned regarding her decision to keep her Kennedy Center engagements in the wake of Trump’s takeover of the institution. She expressed her belief that art is bipartisan and bigger than the present political moment.

Catch-up: Marin Alsop is the first woman to lead a major American orchestra; a sign of progress in an often regressive industry. Yet, Alsop expressed her “deep concerns” that the world seems to be backtracking, as well as her worries that opportunities in the classical music industry will soon dissipate.

In the past few weeks, many prominent artists have cut ties with the Kennedy Center. The artists are protesting Trump’s dismantlement of the board and the institution’s leadership, as well as his banning of LGBTQ+ organizations from performing. Alsop’s concert with the National Symphony Orchestra featured Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherezade,” which she describes as the story of the strength of a single woman. She hoped the performance would inspire listeners in the fight for equality and to reflect on women’s historical contributions.

Author
Recent Posts

Sara Schabas

Sara Schabas is a Dora-nominated soprano, writer and yoga teacher. She has performed and created leading roles with companies including Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Dayton Opera, and Aspen Opera, and is a former member of Barbara Hannigan’s Equilibrium Young Artists. Currently based in Montreal, she is a doctoral student at McGill University — where she recently received the Wirth Vocal Prize — and editor of Art Song Canada magazine.