Winston-Salem native Ben Folds resigns post after Trump shakeup of Kennedy Center

Winston-Salem native Ben Folds has resigned his position as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra. This comes after a shakeup at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where President Donald Trump is now chairman.

“Not for me,” Folds wrote in an Instagram post.

He says he had a wonderful eight years working with the organization, including Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter and the musicians with the National Symphony Orchestra. But he says he’s stepping down because of recent developments at the Center, including the termination of Rutter’s contract.

Folds grew up in Winston-Salem and graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School. He received widespread acclaim in the 1990s with his band, Ben Folds Five. Their song “Brick” was a Billboard top 20 hit. The singer-songwriter has also had a lengthy solo career.

The board of the Kennedy Center has historically been bipartisan, but Trump fired members appointed by former President Joe Biden and installed his own. The board then unanimously named Trump as chairman.

Trump has chosen his former acting director of national intelligence, Richard Grennell, as the center’s interim president.

Folds isn’t the only artist who cut ties after the shakeup. Opera star Renée Fleming has also resigned, as has producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes. Actress and writer Issa Rae has canceled a sold-out show scheduled for March.