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Ben Folds resigned as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in February 2025, after the Kennedy Center’s newly appointed board made Donald Trump its chair and voted to remove longtime president Deborah Rutter. Folds was not an NSO musician leaving an orchestra seat: he held an advisory role for eight years, according to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
What happened in February 2025?
The Kennedy Center board’s actions came first: it appointed Trump as chair and voted to remove Rutter. In the wake of that vote, Folds and fellow NSO artistic adviser Renée Fleming tendered their resignations, according to The Washington Post.
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Folds’s brief statement said: “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO.” The statement did not elaborate on his reasons.
How did Folds explain his decision later?
In later comments, Folds framed his departure as a response to the political environment created by the board changes and the implications of remaining associated with the institution. PBS NewsHour described his departure as a stand for artistic freedom in an October 2025 interview. In testimony published in July 2026, Folds again recounted resigning in February 2025 and connected his choice to the takeover and its effects on artistic independence.
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Folds also criticized the manner of the change in remarks reported by The Washington Post: “It’s incompetent to take over an arts administration when you do it in a way that’s going to run off artists and audiences.” That is his assessment of the board’s approach, rather than an independently established account of its effects.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What role did Folds hold at the NSO?
Folds was the orchestra’s first artistic adviser, a position he held for eight years, according to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The role was distinct from performing as an orchestra member or serving as the Kennedy Center’s president. His resignation therefore ended his advisory association with the NSO, not a musician’s post in the orchestra.
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- Culminating more than two decades of performing with some of the world's greatest orchestras, indie music icon Ben Folds performs his hits and new music with the NSO in a live orchestral concert album conducted by Steven Reineke and recorded to sold-out audiences over two nights at the John F.
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