National Symphony Orchestra Now Opens All Concerts with the National Anthem

In Thursday’s (10/23) New York Times, Adam Nagourney writes, “The National Symphony Orchestra has begun to open all its performances with the national anthem, the latest indication of how President Trump is putting his imprint on the Kennedy Center, the orchestra’s home. The new policy was put in place at the direction of Richard Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany, whom Trump appointed as the center’s president after installing himself as its chairman. The president purged 18 members from the center’s formerly bipartisan board who had been appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr…. Like many other American orchestras and opera companies, the symphony used to play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ only at the opening of its seasons. It did so again this year when it kicked off its 95th season on Sept. 27 … ‘People were really moved by the season-opening performance of the anthem, so we thought, why not play it at every performance?’ said Jean Davidson, the orchestra’s executive director. ‘We are the orchestra in the nation’s capital. And we are about to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation.’ … Across the nation, there is a patchwork of policies on whether and when to play the anthem at classical music performances.”