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Ben Folds: National Symphony Orchestra faces peril amid Kennedy Center turmoil

The National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center is in jeopardy due to the ongoing issues and confusion surrounding the institution. Ben Folds speaks out on how to support the orchestra.

Variety Music·Jun 2, 2026·via Variety Music

Ben Folds: National Symphony Orchestra faces peril amid Kennedy Center turmoil

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Jun 2, 2026 12:48pm PT

The Kennedy Center’s National Symphony Orchestra ‘Is in Real Trouble,’ Ben Folds Says — Here’s How We Can Help

By Jem Aswad

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Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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For all the stigma and turmoil that President Trump has brought onto the Kennedy Center , the people who are most harmed are the people who work there — including the National Symphony Orchestra, the very existence of which is imperiled by the callousness and confusion surrounding the president’s attempted takeover of the organization (which, of course, was overruled last week by a Federal District Court judge ).

Singer-songwriter-pianist Ben Folds, who was an artistic advisor to the NSO for nearly a decade, has written an impassioned letter detailing the orchestra’s plight and how the public can help. It appears in full below.