Late last year the National Opera left their long time home at the Kennedy Center but the National Symphony Orchestra stayed.

Now the Symphony’s director Jean Davidson is the latest person to leave the confines of the troubled Kennedy Center.  The executive director for the Orchestra, Jean Davidson is leaving to take over as executive director and CEO at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

She will replace Robert van Leer who is taking over as the performing arts program director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Davidson came to Washington, the Kennedy Center, and the National Symphony Orchestra in 2023 after serving as the executive director and CEO of the Master Chorale at The Music Center in Los Angeles.

Her departure marks a return to the west coast of the nation.

Davidson spoke about the move via a statement saying, “the arts are where a community sees itself, and where it imagines what’s possible next.  I’m honored to join the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts at this pivotal moment.”

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell noted, “I have enjoyed working with Jean to cultivate new donors and patrons while cleaning up the financial mess at the (center).”

Davidson said via statement, “it has been a great honor to serve the NSO and to work alongside Gianandrea Noseda, Steven Reineke, the extraordinary musicians, and the dedicated staff and board. I’m deeply proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.”

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Davidson noted it was, “more and more difficult to remain at the Kennedy Center, given the external forces that are at work that are just so far beyond my control.”

Shortly after returning to Washington and the White House the current administration made a hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center; replacing the board with loyalists, cancelling “woke” programming, and even installing an illegal name change.

The moves have prompted a massive exodus of personnel and cancelled performances.  Davidson follows in the footsteps of Renee Fleming, David Glass, the Washington National Opera, Bela Fleck, and many others.

Reports are now that the Kennedy Center will be closed to the next two years this summer to undergo some major renovations.