Composer/Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas Dies At 81
The New York Times reports: Michael Tilson Thomas, the American conductor, composer and pianist whose 25-year tenure as music director of the San Francisco Symphony became a model of collegial music-making, artistic adventurousness and community engagement, died on Wednesday at his home in San Francisco. He was 81. The cause was glioblastoma, an aggressive form … The post Composer/Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas Dies At 81 appeared first on Joe.My.God..
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The New York Times reports:
Michael Tilson Thomas, the American conductor, composer and pianist whose 25-year tenure as music director of the San Francisco Symphony became a model of collegial music-making, artistic adventurousness and community engagement, died on Wednesday at his home in San Francisco. He was 81. The cause was glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, Constance Shuman, his publicist, said in a statement.
Before he took the helm of the San Francisco Symphony, Mr. Thomas had conducted most of the world’s major ensembles; held the post of music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic for eight years in the 1970s; served as principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1981 to ’85; and was principal conductor of the musician-run London Symphony Orchestra from 1988 until 1995, when he began his San Francisco tenure.
Read the full article. Tilson Thomas, who was a 2019 Kennedy Center honoree, won 12 Grammys and a Peabody Award. His husband of nearly 50 years, Joshua Robison, died two months ago at age 79.
Michael Tilson Thomas, the American conductor, composer and pianist, died on Wednesday at 81. His 25-year tenure as music director of the San Francisco Symphony became a model of collegial music-making, artistic adventurousness and community engagement.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) April 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM
The post Composer/Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas Dies At 81 appeared first on Joe.My.God..
