Symphony No. 15 (Glass)
| Symphony No. 15 | |
|---|---|
| by Philip Glass | |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Style | Postmodern, minimalist |
| Form | Symphony |
| Composed | 2022 |
| Publisher | Dunvagen Music Publishers |
| Duration | 40 minutes[1] |
| Premiere | |
| Date | January 31, 2027 |
| Location | Carnegie Hall, New York City, U.S.A. |
| Conductor | Dennis Russell Davies |
| Performers | Zachary James (Baritone) |
Symphony No. 15 (Lincoln) is the unpublished fifteenth symphony by American composer Philip Glass. The piece was jointly commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center, and portrays the life of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln.[2] The piece was inspired by Lincoln's 1838 "Lyceum Address."[3][4]
History
In 2022, Glass was commissioned to compose the symphony to honor the life of president Abraham Lincoln and to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts.[5]
Cancellations
On January 27, 2026, Glass publicly announced the cancellation of the symphony's premiere at the Kennedy Center due to him believing that the center's values didn't align with Lincoln and was therefore in conflict with the piece's message and central meaning.[6][7][8][9] The decision was made a month after the center's board voted to add Donald Trump to the facility's name.[10][11] It would have made its premiere on June 12 and 13, 2026.[12][13] Prior to this, the piece's debut had already been delayed and postponed several times from when it was originally scheduled in March, 2022.[14] due to Glass failing to complete the work by the deadline.[3]
Premiere
On February 24, 2026, it was announced that the work's debut was rescheduled and that the piece will be premiered by Orchestra of St. Luke's at Carnegie Hall on January 31st, 2027,[15] with a subsequent following performance by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, on June 4, 2027.[16]
References
- ^ [1], philipglass.com
- ^ "Philip Glass cancels Kennedy Center symphony premiere in protest of Trump's leadership". AP News. 2026-01-27. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ a b Washington, Adam NagourneyReporting from; York, New (2026-01-27). "Philip Glass Withdraws From Kennedy Center, as Its Symphony Vows to Play On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Lukpat, Alyssa (2026-01-27). "Philip Glass Withdraws Symphony From Kennedy Center". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ^ Towfighi, Michaela (2026-02-03). "From 'Hamilton' to Issa Rae to Philip Glass: Here's a List of Kennedy Center Cancellations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (2026-01-27). "Philip Glass Cancels 'Lincoln' Symphony Premiere at Kennedy Center". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Yang, Maya (2026-01-27). "Philip Glass withdraws world premiere of his Lincoln symphony from Kennedy Center". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ FilmoGaz (2026-01-28). "Philip Glass Cancels Kennedy Center Debut of Symphony No. 15". FilmoGaz. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Trump's Too Dumb to Know, but Philip Glass's Symphony Is About Him". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
- ^ "Philip Glass withdraws premiere of new symphony from Kennedy Center, saying values are in "direct conflict" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2026-01-27. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Beaujon, Andrew (2026-01-27). "Philip Glass Pulls Symphony From Kennedy Center - Washingtonian". Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Iyer, Kaanita (2026-01-27). "Philip Glass withdraws his 'Lincoln' symphony from the Kennedy Center, citing conflicting values | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Philip Glass cancels Kennedy Center premiere of 'Lincoln' symphony amid massive upheaval". Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-27. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Philip Glass pulls world premiere from Kennedy Center". The Washington Post. 2026-01-27. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Philip Glass: The 90th Birthday Concert". carnegiehall.org. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Case, Wesley (24 February 2026). "After Kennedy Center exit, Philip Glass to bring new symphony home to Baltimore". Baltimore Banner. Retrieved 26 February 2026.