Michael Tilson Thomas has announced that his 80th birthday performance with the San Francisco Symphony, in April this year, will be his last.
In a message published today, the conductor wrote: “Three years ago I wrote to tell you that I’m battling Glioblastoma. The three and a half years since the initial diagnosis have been a special time in my life, filled with friends, family, and music. They have also been challenging as I had to undergo a second operation and manage complications from the treatments that have held the tumor at bay.
“My doctors have informed me that the tumor has returned. We continue to work with the superb group at the UCSF Brain Tumor Center. There are treatment options, but the odds are uncertain.”
Tilson Thomas’ recent performances include appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic. In March this year the conductor will perform with the New World Symphony and Yefim Bronfman in Miami Beach.
Tilson Thomas’ long association with the San Francisco Symphony makes it a fitting ensemble to perform his final concert with. He first performed with the orchestra in 1974, becoming Music Director in 1995, a position he held until 2020.
Commenting on the planned concert with the San Francisco Symphony on 26th April, Tilson Thomas said: “At that point we all get to say the old show business expression, ‘It's a wrap.’
“A ‘coda’ is a musical element at the end of a composition that brings the whole piece to a conclusion. A coda can vary greatly in length. My life’s coda is generous and rich.
“Life is precious.”
