Opera singer and Rochester native Renée Fleming has announced she’s resigning from her position at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. She was an Artistic Advisor at Large to the center.
Fleming grew up in Churchville and graduated from the Eastman School of Music.
In 2023, she was honored by the Kennedy Center for lifetime artistic achievement.
In a statement on social media, Fleming described former chairman David Rubenstein as “the greatest patriot I know,” adding that she’s treasured the bi-partisan support for the institution as a “beacon of America at our best.”
Fleming also called the President of the Kennedy Center, Deborah Rutter, “a tireless, creative leader, successfully expanding our National Center for the Arts in visionary ways.
Writing about the two former leaders of the Kennedy Center, Fleming said that, "They have both been an inspiration to me; and out of respect, I think it right to depart as well."
Her resignation follows a shake-up at the Kennedy Center. President Donald Trump was voted to the position of Chair of the Board and has installed his own team to take over the institution.
Copyright 2025 WXXI News
