A musician who canceled his upcoming New Year’s Eve concert at the unofficially renowned Kennedy Center wasn’t afraid to candidly explain why.

Renowned tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, a member of the jazz septet The Cookers, has written about his feelings regarding the ensemble’s decision to cancel their planned New Year’s Eve performances at the historic Performing Arts Center, which now bears Donald Trump’s name on its facade.

“The board of directors that currently runs the center, as well as the name displayed on the building itself, represent a mentality and practices that I have always opposed. And I still do, now more than ever,” he added.

“After all the years I’ve spent working with some of the greatest anti-racism heroes like Max Roach and Randy Weston and Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Stanley Cowell, I know they would be rolling over in their graves to see me take the stage in such circumstances and betray everything we have fought for and sacrificed for, but also betray all the listeners who believed (and still believe) in our cause and our music.”

The Cookers also released a statement on their website regarding their “last minute” decision to cancel their New Year’s Eve shows, but it did not explicitly refer to Trump.

“Jazz was born out of struggle and a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, expression and the full human voice,” it reads. “We are not turning away from our audience and want to make sure that when we return to the bandstand, the venue will be able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it.”

“To all those who are disappointed or upset, we understand and share your sadness,” he continues. “We remain committed to playing music that transcends divisions rather than deepens them. »

On December 18, the board of directors of the Center, on which Trump, as president, installed his closest allies, voted to rename it the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

Despite the Kennedy family’s objections and the lack of a legal basis for making such a decision, the president’s name was added to the exterior of the building the next day.

The Cookers are not the only musicians to withdraw from their performances at the Center.

Musician Chuck Redd, a legendary jazz drummer and vibraphonist who has performed alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Byrd, withdrew at the last minute from this year’s Christmas Eve event, despite having headlined the annual show since 2006.

“I chose to cancel our Christmas Eve Jazz Jam at the Kennedy Center when I saw the name change happening last Friday,” Redd, 67, said in a statement to CNN.

“I have been performing at the Kennedy Center since the beginning of my career and I was saddened to see the name change,” he added.

Redd’s decision drew the ire of Trump-appointed Kennedy Center Chairman Richard Grenell, who called it “intolerant” and a “political stunt.”

Grenell said in a letter to Redd, obtained by The Associated Press, that the Kennedy Center would seek $1 million in damages from the musician.

New York dance company Doug Varone and Dancers also announced the cancellation of two on-site performances scheduled for April.

“It’s financially devastating but morally exhilarating,” Varone told the New York Times.

When reached for comment, the Kennedy Center referred the Daily Beast to a statement from Grenell, which was shared on X on Monday.

“The artists who are now canceling their shows were booked by previous far-left leaders,” Grenell wrote. “Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned with recruiting far-left political activists rather than artists willing to perform in front of everyone, regardless of their political beliefs. »