Michael Tilson Thomas, S.F. Symphony icon, dies at 81
San Francisco Chronicle • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Michael Tilson Thomas, former music director of the San Francisco Symphony from 1995 to 2020, passed away at age 81 after a battle with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer; he died surrounded by family and friends.
- Thomas' 25-year tenure marked a golden age for the Symphony and the Bay Area's classical music scene, noted for his versatility as conductor, pianist, composer, and educator, and for expanding the orchestra's cultural influence.
- He was renowned for championing American composers like Charles Ives and contemporary music, as well as for his deep commitment to Mahler’s works, culminating in a Grammy-winning complete Mahler recording cycle.
- Thomas revitalized the Symphony’s programming with a blend of new music, standard repertoire, and operatic productions, and created the multimedia "Keeping Score" project to educate and engage audiences.
- Despite stepping down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his illness, Thomas continued to conduct and teach, leaving a lasting legacy recognized by the renaming of a block near Davies Symphony Hall as MTT Way in his honor.
