Stephen Schwartz, the celebrated composer of Broadway hits including Wicked and Pippin, has announced he will no longer participate in the Washington National Opera Gala scheduled for May 16 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in response to the institution’s contentious renaming under President Donald Trump.

Schwartz said in an email that he could not support an arts institution that “no longer represents the apolitical place for free artistic expression it was founded to be,” adding that he would not set foot in the facility now that its identity has shifted amid political controversy.

Schwartz’s statement came after the Kennedy Center’s board voted on December 18 to add Trump’s name to the venue, rebranding it as “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” a move that has prompted a wider backlash from artists and arts organisations.

Critics argue that the renaming — executed without clear legislative authority under federal law governing the center’s dedication — politicises a once-neutral national cultural institution.

In response to Schwartz’s claim, the Kennedy Center’s leadership has disputed reports that he was ever formally booked for the gala under its current management, noting that no contract was signed after the leadership change. A spokesperson stated that discussions about his involvement were never finalised by the new board, even though his name appeared on event listings.

Schwartz’s decision reflects a broader pattern of cancellations and disaffiliations by prominent performers and ensembles following the renaming, which has also seen groups such as The Cookers, Doug Varone and Dancers, and musician Chuck Redd withdraw from planned performances. 

The continuing controversy has correlated with declining ticket sales and viewership for major events at the venue, including a drop in the recent televised Kennedy Center Honors audience.