Javier Hernandez

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Javier Hernandez |Javier C. Hernández

A House committee proposed a huge increase in federal funding to repair and restore the center, which President Trump took over in February. Democrats have questions. Since leading a stunning takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the start of his second term, President Trump has repeatedly lamented the building's condition. He has described the center, which opened in 1971, as in " tremendous disrepair," and has spoken about the need for a major renovation.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Javier Hernandez |Javier C. Hernández

The soprano Patricia Racette has performed on some of the world's biggest stages, but she has long felt a special connection to Opera Theater of St. Louis, where she made her debut in 1993. Now Racette, 59, will deepen her ties to St. Louis: She will lead Opera Theater as its next artistic director, the company announced on Tuesday.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Javier Hernandez |Javier C. Hernández

The pianist Martha Argerich had just delivered an electrifying performance on a snowy night in northern Switzerland. Fans were lining up backstage for autographs, and friends were bringing roses and chrysanthemums to her dressing room. But Argerich, who at 83 is still one of the world's most astonishing pianists, with enough finger strength to shatter chestnuts or make a Steinway quiver, was nowhere to be seen. She had slipped out a door to smoke a Gauloises cigarette.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Javier Hernandez |Javier C. Hernández

The center's opera company and orchestra are planning typical seasons. But one opera was withdrawn from the lineup by its creative team, which objected to the president's takeover. The Kennedy Center's flagship opera company and symphony orchestra announced Thursday that they plan to present robust and fairly typical programs next season, the first full season since President Trump took over the institution.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Javier Hernandez |Javier C. Hernández

András Schiff, an eminent concert pianist who has boycotted strongman rule in Russia and his native Hungary, said on Wednesday that he would no longer perform in the United States because of concerns about President Trump's "unbelievable bullying" on the world stage. Mr. Schiff, 71, a towering figure in classical music, said he was alarmed by Mr. Trump's admonishments of Ukraine; his expansionist threats about Canada, Greenland and Gaza; and his support for far-right politicians in Germany.