Jan 23, 2026 3:39pm PT Renée Fleming Becomes Latest Star to Drop Out of a Kennedy Center Engagement By Chris Willman Plus Icon Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic ChrisWillman Latest ‘The Disciple’ Review: Amusing Tale of How a Hip-Hop Protege Led the Wu Tang Clan Into a Deal With the Devil for the World’s Rarest Album 3 hours ago Harry Styles Reveals Album Track List and Does Hand-to-Hand Combat — and Choreography — With a Stranger in ‘Aperture’ Video 6 hours ago Eddie Izzard on Bringing ‘Hamlet’ to L. A. as a One-Person, 23-Character Show, After 200 Global Performances: ‘I Want to, as a Trans Person, Give Honor to All the Characters’ 23 hours ago See All Stephen Lovekin/Variety/REX/Shut The Kennedy Center has lost another one of the few remaining stars on its 2026 schedule, as the legendary soprano Renée Fleming has dropped out of an appearance at the embattled venue previously scheduled for May. Although many of the musicians who have bowed out of appearances there have made note of the political toxicity that has made it difficult for name artists to fulfill their engagements, a notice on the Kennedy Center’s website blames her exit on an issue with her schedule Related Stories Golden Globes Hit 8.7 Million Viewers Amid NFL Competition How to Stream the Golden Globes and Variety's Red Carpet Pre-Show Live Online “Renée Fleming regrets that, due to a scheduling conflict, she must withdraw from her May 2026 concerts with the NSO,” the notice reads.
