Conductor and composer Michael Tilson Thomas.
In Monday’s (2/24) San Francisco Chronicle, Tony Bravo writes, “Three years since announcing his initial diagnosis, San Francisco Symphony Music Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas’ brain tumor has returned, forcing the longtime conductor to officially step down from performing. ‘There are treatment options, but the odds are uncertain,’ Thomas revealed in an email addressed to ‘Dear friends’ sent out Monday, Feb. 24. ‘Now is the time to wind down my public appearances.’ His March concerts at Miami Beach’s New World Symphony, which Thomas founded in 1987, and his 80th birthday celebration on April 26 with the San Francisco Symphony will be his last…. Thomas retired as music director of the San Francisco Symphony at the end of the 2019-20 season, concluding his 25-year career here. He later revealed he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2021. After undergoing surgery and treatment … Thomas continued to make guest appearances as a conductor with the Symphony and other orchestras around the world…. ‘During the past year I had the opportunity to come full circle with musicians and orchestras I hold most dear,’ he reflected, noting the ‘very special’ work he has done with the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic … He closed his email with … ‘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.’ ”
