Ben Folds Announces Tour After Resigning from Kennedy Center Role

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ben Folds has announced a new concert tour following his resignation as the inaugural artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) earlier this year. Folds stepped down in February, just moments after the Trump administration assumed control of the Kennedy Center.

Folds recorded his latest album, “Live with the National Symphony Orchestra,” over two nights at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall last October. The album, described as “part protest, part celebration,” captures his work before the political shift. He released the album shortly after his resignation, suggesting it serves as a defiant response to the current administration.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Folds expressed gratitude for his eight-year collaboration with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter and fellow artistic advisor Renée Fleming. He noted, “It’s been a wonderful 8 years… Mostly, I will miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra — just the best!”

Folds’ new album features performances with special guests Regina Spektor and Tall Heights. He described it as a “time capsule of the last moment before it all got torn down,” capturing both nostalgia and urgency.

“I still believe there’s more good than not,” he told WKPK FM in Louisville. “But you must work for it. You have to say something. Especially now.”

The tour announcement is scheduled for this morning at Byrdland Records in Washington. This marks Folds’s first return to the nation’s capital since he resigned. His upcoming tour will include performances with several orchestras, including the Colorado Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Louisville Orchestra, throughout the fall.