Washington National Opera leaves Kennedy Center after more than five decades

The Washington National Opera announced it will end its long-running affiliation with the Kennedy Center, reduce its spring season and relocate performances to other venues in Washington, citing financial pressures and a new requirement that productions be fully funded in advance.

The Washington National Opera said on Friday that it will end its long-running performance arrangement with the Kennedy Center and relocate productions to other venues across Washington. The company said it will reduce its spring season as part of efforts to balance its budget. WNO leaders said the Kennedy Center's new operating model — including a requirement that productions be fully funded in advance — is incompatible with how opera typically finances productions. The company has performed at the Kennedy Center since the building opened in the early 1970s and described the decision as difficult. Key details: - The WNO announced it will end its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and move performances out of the 2,364-seat Opera House. - The opera said it will reduce its spring season to ensure fiscal prudence and cited a funding requirement at the Kennedy Center that it called incompatible with opera operations. - The WNO's 37-member board approved a resolution authorizing leadership to seek an "amicable early termination" of the affiliation and to resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit. - Officials said new venues within Washington have been identified, but no leases have been finalized and a separate WNO website is being created as the transition continues. - Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi described the split as a mutual decision, saying both organizations saw it as the best path forward for financial stability. - The announcement follows a year of leadership and branding changes at the Kennedy Center that drew artist cancellations and donor backlash, as reported in coverage of the institution's recent shifts. Summary: The Washington National Opera's departure ends a partnership that lasted more than five decades and represents a significant operational change for the company and the Kennedy Center. WNO plans to relocate performances within Washington, pursue an early termination of its affiliation agreement, and establish its own online presence; specific venue leases and final timelines are undetermined at this time.