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3mo ago

Michael Tilson Thomas to Conclude Conducting Career Following Return of Brain Tumor

The renowned conductor, 80, announced his glioblastoma has returned and his final performances will take place in March and April.

FILE - 2019 Kennedy Center Honoree conductor Michael Tilson Thomas arrives at the State Department for the Kennedy Center Honors State Department Dinner Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)
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Overview

  • Michael Tilson Thomas revealed that his glioblastoma brain tumor, first diagnosed in 2021, has returned despite prior surgeries and treatments.
  • The conductor has stated that upcoming performances with the New World Symphony in March and the San Francisco Symphony in April will be his last public appearances.
  • Thomas described his decision to step back from conducting as marking the 'coda' of his life, reflecting on the richness of the past three and a half years since his diagnosis.
  • He will not conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra's March concerts as originally planned, with Osmo Vänskä stepping in as his replacement.
  • Tilson Thomas, a celebrated figure in classical music, has held prominent roles with the San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, and Buffalo Philharmonic over his decades-long career.