WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The International Pride Orchestra (IPO) announced Monday that its Pride Celebration Concert would take place in Bethesda, Md. after the John F. Kennedy Center in D.C. disinvited them from performing.
The concert, set for June 5, will be held at The Music Center at Strathmore now. The organization said the announcement comes after the group’s founding artistic director, Michael Roest, received an email from the Kennedy Center on Feb. 12, stating, “We are not in a position at this time to advance a contract.”
The San-Francisco based musical group, which brings together 80 queer and ally musicians from more than 32 states across the nation, was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center as part of WorldPride 2025, which Capital Pride Alliance hosts this year.
The email came days after President Donald Trump announced on Feb. 7 that he intended to fire the center’s board of trustees and appoint himself as chairman.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” Trump reportedly wrote, in part, regarding the changes in a post on his social media site.
Less than a week later, on Feb. 12, the center named Trump chairman of the board, in a move it acknowledged as “unprecedented.”
According to a report from the Associated Press, in a statement to the Wall Street Journal last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The Kennedy Center learned the hard way that if you go woke, you will go broke. President Trump and the members of his newly-appointed board are devoted to rebuilding the Kennedy Center into a thriving and highly respected institution where all Americans, and visitors from around the world, can enjoy the arts with respect to America’s great history and traditions.”
Following the venue change for the International Pride Orchestra’s performance, leaders from the organization spoke out against the alleged disinvite.
“We were heartbroken when we learned that our concert would no longer be welcome at the Kennedy Center,” said Roest. “The Kennedy Center has long been a symbol of artistic excellence, inclusivity, and freedom of expression. However, we are profoundly grateful to the Strathmore Music Center for opening their doors to us. Their willingness to host our Pride Celebration Concert ensures that our message of love, pride, and resilience will be heard on the doorstep of the nation’s capital.”
IPO noted that The Music Center at Strathmore quickly stepped in to offer the group a new location for its celebratory event.
“Music has always been a powerful force against hate and bigotry,” Roest added. “In times of challenge, it reminds us of our shared humanity. The LGBTQ+ community has always shown resilience in the face of discrimination, and this concert will be a vibrant expression of that enduring spirit. We are honored to bring our music to the Strathmore Music Center and to stand together against intolerance.”
The Kennedy Center told DC News Now it does not have a formal statement in response to IPO’s announcement.
