Ben Folds says politicization at Kennedy Center drove him to resign from NSO advisory role

Ben Folds, a recording artist and former artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the Kennedy Center, testified that he resigned after what he called a "brutal board takeover" that politicized the institution's programming and messaging.

Folds said he had been a touring artist for 30 years and that about half his career focused on orchestral work; he told the panel he was appointed the first artistic advisor to the NSO at the Kennedy Center in 2017. "We sold out shows for 8 years straight without compromising the orchestra's integrity," he said, describing programming successes under his tenure.

Speaking about institutional changes, Folds said the Trump administration "staged a brutal board takeover," and that, "for the 1st time in history, a president took control of the Kennedy Center's programming and messaging." He said the result was a "hyper politicized environment" that left him unable to trust that artists he booked "would be safe from retribution." "For this reason, with great sadness, I had no choice but to resign," he said.

Folds also described the "unlawful addition of the president's name to the front of the building" as having pushed the Kennedy Center "into further spiral," and said the name has since been removed. He urged that the center be "resuscitated" and called for leadership that understands how to run the institution, keeps politics out of programming, and appoints qualified arts administrators.

The testimony presented Folds's account and characterization of events; the transcript does not include responses or corroboration from other witnesses in this session. The next procedural step or any formal action by the body receiving testimony was not specified in the record.