WASHINGTON (FN) — The president of the Kennedy Center sharply criticized a longtime performer who canceled an annual Christmas Eve jazz concert after the arts institution added President Donald Trump’s name to the building, calling the withdrawal “classic intolerance” and financially damaging to the nonprofit.
In a letter first obtained and shared out by the Associated Press, Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell rebuked jazz musician Chuck Redd, who has hosted the holiday concert since 2006, for backing out just days before the event. Redd canceled the performance after the White House announced that Trump’s name would be added to the center’s facade, a change Grenell said honors the president’s “extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure” during his tenure as chairman of the center’s board.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming — is classic intolerance and very costly to a nonprofit arts institution,” Grenell wrote, adding that he would seek $1 million in damages for what he described as a political stunt.
Redd, a drummer and vibraphonist, had led the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam for nearly two decades. He has not publicly commented on Grenell’s letter, but previously said he stepped away because he objected to the decision to add Trump’s name to the building, which has historically maintained a nonpartisan identity.
The renaming, approved by a Trump‑appointed board, sparked broader debate among artists and arts advocates. Some performers expressed concern that the move politicized a cultural institution originally dedicated to President John F. Kennedy’s legacy.
The Kennedy Center confirmed the concert’s cancellation on Dec. 24, noting that the event had been a holiday tradition for more than 20 years.
Grenell, a close Trump ally, praised the president’s leadership in his letter and defended the board’s decision, saying the renaming reflects Trump’s role in preserving the center’s financial stability during his administration.
The White House has not commented on the dispute.
