Dolly Parton’s Music To Be Performed By National Symphony Orchestra At Trump-Led Kennedy Center
on May 14, 2025
Dolly Parton’s Music Goes To Washington
The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., is one of the United States’ leading cultural centers, bringing symphonies, operas, and more to the nation’s capital.
While it is presently embroiled in controversy, with President Donald Trump presiding as chair of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, the show goes on.
Soon, the music of a woman from Pittman Center, Tennessee, will grace the stage of the storied performing arts center.
Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs In Symphony is a new multimedia symphonic concert that offers audiences “a visual-musical journey” of Dolly Parton‘s songs, as well as a unique glimpse into her life and stories.
Of the production, Dolly said:
“The threads of my life are woven together through my songs. That’s why this project, Threads: My Songs In Symphony, is so special to me. It’s all about sharing my music and my musical journey with audiences in a new way.”
While Dolly does not sing in the production, it does feature the vocal stylings of Katelyn Drye, of the country duo The Dryes who appeared on NBC’s The Voice, with Derek Drye on acoustic guitar.
Having already made its world premiere in Nashville this past March, with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra giving the opening performance, now it will be played by the National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke.
Running for two days only, on June 26 and June 27, audiences will hear “innovative orchestrations of favorites like ‘Jolene,’ ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ and ‘I Will Always Love You,’ as well as handpicked personal treasures,” a press release stated.
Describing the opportunity to lead a symphony in playing Dolly’s music as “a dream,” Reineke said, “Dolly is one of the great storytellers of American music, and I am excited to bring her expansive catalogue to the Kennedy Center. Through these unique symphonic charts, her music will be showcased like never before and will surely be an evening no one will want to miss!”
Information on tickets for the Kennedy Center run of Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs In Symphony, as well as other area performances of the production, may be accessed here: www.dollysymphony.com.
Dolly Parton Was Honored By The Kennedy Center In 2006
Still, Dolly is no stranger to the Kennedy Center.
For the past 47 years, the Kennedy Center Honors have recognized individuals who have made an impact in the arts over the course of their lifetime.
In 2006, Dolly Parton was selected as a Kennedy Center Honoree.
Introduced by Reba McEntire, the Kennedy Center’s tribute to Dolly included Carrie Underwood and Kenny Rogers singing a duet of “Islands in the Stream,” Shania Twain singing “Coat of Many Colors,” and Vince Gill singing “I Will Always Love You.”
Revisit the full tribute to Dolly Parton here:
Trump Presides Over The Kennedy Center Board
On February 12, President Donald Trump was unanimously elected chair of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees after he dismissed Biden’s appointees and had several officials terminated.
Among those he appointed to the board are U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Second Lady Usha Vance, as well as Lee Greenwood and Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of the Kennedy Center’s namesake, serves as an ex officio member, as designated by Congress.
Additionally, First Lady Melania Trump is an honorary chair of the board, as is customary for First Ladies.
During a March 17 meeting with the board, Trump outlined how he sees the Kennedy Center as part of a larger restoration of Washington, D.C., saying, “It’s a very big part of the fabric of Washington, D.C., and we’re going to make our capital great again, just like we’re going to make our country great again.”
On that same day, he told CBS Sunday Morning, as broadcast on March 30, that changes to the Kennedy Center will not just be in programming, but in the facility itself.
“We’ll make a lot of changes, including the seats, the decor, pretty much everything,” Trump said. “It needs a lot of work.”
However, it is questions of programming and artistic freedom at the arts center that continue to concern critics of the president.
Board member Paolo Zampolli, a businessman who serves as U.S. Special Representative for Global Partnerships, told CBS Sunday Morning that Trump is considering having the Kennedy Center pay tribute to Elvis Presley, among others.
Looking ahead to the 48th Kennedy Center Honors, Trump told the board in audio acquired by CBS that the next honorees should be “slightly more conservative.”
He also added that “the king of ratings” should host the next Honors: Trump.
Presidents typically attend the Kennedy Center Honors, but Trump never attended the ceremony during his first term as president.
Amid these changes in leadership at the Kennedy Center, Dolly Parton has not commented on the matter.
Watch the full CBS Sunday Morning segment on the Kennedy Center here:
