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Letter From Chairman David M. Rubenstein and President Deborah F. Rutter

 

525,600 minutes

Anyone familiar with Jonathan Larson’s ground-breaking musical RENT—which made its symphonic premiere with the NSO this season—knows there are 525,600 minutes in a year. RENT asks us to consider the passage of time, and how we measure those 525,600 minutes. As we reflect on the 2022–2023 artistic seasons of the Kennedy Center, National Symphony Orchestra, and Washington National Opera we ask ourselves, “How do we measure a season at the National Cultural Center?”

Just as a year is made up of minutes, this season is made up of numbers: thousands of events, millions of visitors, hundreds of artists and staff working on and off the stages, and millions of students reached. In RENT, Jonathan Larson looks beyond minutes, choosing to measure a year with “Seasons of Love.” In remembering this season, we look beyond numbers to measure with moments of connection and community. 

Over the course of a year we experience hope and celebration, but also grief and doubt. It is our hope that throughout the moments of your life, art is always present, always relevant, and always connecting you with community. 

This report reflects only a small portion of all that we achieved together, but it contains countless moments of connection. To all who made our programs possible, thank you for your unending belief in our mission. To all who told your stories on our stages and across our campus, you bring our halls to life. And to all who shared a moment with us, thank you for being part of our community. We hope you see yourselves in the following pages, and look forward to sharing more moments with you. 

Together in art,