LENOX, MASS. — Philip Glass' Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln' premiered at Tanglewood on July 5, 2026, performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Karen Kamensek conducted the orchestra during the premiere, while Zachary James served as the baritone soloist portraying Abraham Lincoln.

Glass withdrew the symphony's scheduled premiere from the Kennedy Center in January 2026. On social media, the composer stated, "Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony." He added, "Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership." Donald Trump has served as chairman of the Kennedy Center since early 2025.

The Symphony No. 15 is an eight-movement work. Glass wrote in the program note that "Lincoln's legacy of holding the country together in a period during which it was ripping itself apart — seemed an appropriate subject to consider on this, our country's 250th birthday."

Kamensek noted that the symphony focuses on text. "There are melodies, but it's more about getting the text across," she said. She also said, "He's selected parts of speeches of Lincoln's own words, which are very, very contemporary to everything right now, and also visionary and kind of an omen … he envisioned that our country would probably have troubles in its future." Kamensek described the work's structure: "I heard it as four columns of sound. And I said, 'These are the columns that our society is built on. Basically, we have pillars of morals and values that people are free to … interpret how they will.'"

James discussed his experience performing Lincoln's words. "To speak the words of Lincoln without thinking about the pressure of singing, which is just a totally different animal, was really a special experience," James said. He added, "I was able to allow myself to be emotional in a way that you can't when you're singing, because you can't cry and sing at the same time." James also stated, "This is who he was. And he was incredibly open and vulnerable and speaking in a way that men did not speak in that time. And that is why he was great."

The premiere event also featured a suite of John Williams' music from the film Lincoln and a performance of Aaron Copland's 'Lincoln Portrait,' narrated by Alec Baldwin. The symphony was originally scheduled to premiere with the National Symphony Orchestra. Glass is 89 years old and received the National Medal of Arts in 2015.