Ben Folds Says National Symphony Orchestra ‘May Not Survive’ Kennedy Center Upheaval

Ben Folds published an open letter on Instagram this week laying out the existential threats facing the National Symphony Orchestra. “Our National Symphony Orchestra is in real trouble — it may not survive,” he wrote. “There’s currently no plan or solution in sight to save the organization.” Folds insisted the public can still change the course, but the obstacles are severe and deeply tangled with the Kennedy Center’s own crisis.

Folds served as the NSO’s first artistic adviser from 2017 until he resigned early this year, after Donald Trump took control of the Kennedy Center. He described an institution without programming for its upcoming season, largely because the orchestra “doesn’t even know if it has a home.” A judge recently blocked Trump’s plan to close the venue for renovations and ordered his name removed from the building, though the Center is expected to appeal. Folds cautioned against any sense of relief. The NSO’s endowment, he noted, is tied to a bank note and remains “suffocated by the financial turmoil that has resulted from the presidential takeover.” Fundraising and ticket sales have both dropped sharply since last year.

Folds asked for sustained news coverage of the orchestra’s plight, not just the higher-profile stories around the Kennedy Center. He urged donors to recognize that the NSO will need significant support to recover, and he called on the public to voice that support through comments or letters. He also pressed for people to