The list of donors to the National Symphony Orchestra, one of the Kennedy Center’s flagship ensembles, is usually filled with financiers, socialites, corporations and foundations.
But the name of a sponsor of this week’s performances of Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” stood out. It was Michael T. Flynn, the general and former national security adviser during President Trump’s first term. He was listed, along with his nonprofit, America’s Future Inc., as “performance sponsors” for the National Symphony Orchestra’s concerts from May 15 to 17.
Mr. Flynn said on social media that his nonprofit was “thrilled to sponsor a spectacular three-night performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts!”
“This performance is filled with a vibrant celebration of music, culture, and the unyielding spirit uniting all Americans,” he wrote in a post on X. “The Kennedy Center shines as a proud symbol of our nation’s legacy!”
Mr. Flynn’s gift to the National Symphony Orchestra totaled $300,000, according to two people familiar with the donation who were granted anonymity because details of the gift were not publicized.
Officials at the Kennedy Center said they did not have details of the gift.
“We didn’t know how much but we welcome all sponsorships,” the center said in a statement.
With his gift, Mr. Flynn has emerged as one of the most prominent donors to the Kennedy Center since Mr. Trump’s takeover in February. Mr. Trump purged the center’s board of all Biden appointees and installed himself as chairman, ousting the financier David M. Rubenstein, who had given well over $100 million over the years and helped raise considerably more.
Mr. Flynn’s gift is somewhat unusual for the Kennedy Center. While the center has long taken in donations from individuals, as well corporations, military contractors and even foreign governments, it has rarely received such large gifts from politicians.
Mr. Flynn is a contentious figure, having pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about his conversations with a Russian diplomat during a wider investigation into contacts between the first Trump presidential campaign and Russian officials. Mr. Trump later pardoned Mr. Flynn.
America’s Future Inc. has also been the subject of scrutiny. A New York Times investigation last year found the group was making payments to Mr. Flynn’s relatives and amplifying conspiracy theories.
Representatives for Mr. Flynn and America’s Future Inc. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On Friday, Mr. Flynn posted a video showing him speaking at a reception after Thursday’s concert, where he met National Symphony Orchestra staff members; other donors; and the ensemble’s music director, Gianandrea Noseda.
It is still unclear how Mr. Trump’s takeover is affecting donations at the Kennedy Center, which relies heavily on philanthropy to survive. The president has promised to remake the center, and he recently requested $257 million from Congress to help with capital repairs and other costs, according to lawmakers.
Fund-raising remains a challenge at the center, which hosts more than 2,000 engagements each year. The center receives only a small portion of its $268 million budget — about $43 million, or 16 percent — from the federal government. And the center’s endowment, at $163 million, is relatively small for an institution of its size.
Javier C. Hernández reports on classical music, opera and dance in New York City and beyond.
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