Kevin Couch, the newly appointed head of artistic programming at the Kennedy Center, has resigned from his post.
Couch told The New York Times that he left his position of senior vice president of artistic programming Wednesday, but did not provide a reason for his resignation. The Kennedy Center had announced his hiring on Jan. 16. Jeffrey Finn, who previously held the position and was also executive producer of theater, left his post in September after close to a decade at the arts organization.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
His resignation comes as several artists have withdrawn programming from the Kennedy Center after its takeover by President Donald Trump, who appointed himself as chair and ousted several prior board members, replacing them with his own picks. The board also voted to rename the institution the Trump Kennedy Center.
Philip Glass has withdrawn the premiere of his symphony from the center, and Stephen Schwartz, Issa Rae, Renee Fleming, Hamilton and many more artists have canceled their engagements there.The Washington National Opera has also moved its shows out of the center.
Couch came to the role after serving as director of Programming for ATG Entertainment, where he booked musical, comedy and non-theatrical programming for venues in San Antonio, Tulsa, Little Rock and Springfield.
“We are proud to welcome Kevin Couch to the Trump Kennedy Center as we expand our commonsense programming,” Kennedy Center President Ambassador Richard Grenell at the time of his hiring announcement. “Kevin brings a clear-eyed approach to curating a roster of compelling shows that invite and inspire all audiences.”
