Michael Tilson Thomas, the renowned conductor, announced that due to the recurrence of a brain tumor, he will be reducing his performance activities.
According to the news website Opera Wire, Tilson Thomas posted a statement on social media saying: “Three years ago, I announced that I was battling glioblastoma. These three and a half years have been a unique period in my life, spent alongside family, friends, and music. However, this journey has also had its challenges, including undergoing a second surgery and coping with the side effects of treatments that so far have controlled the tumor’s growth. My doctors have informed me that the tumor has returned, and we are currently exploring treatment options, but the success rate of these methods is uncertain.”
The conductor, referring to the limitation of his activities, shared: “Now is the time to reduce my public appearances. Last year, I had the opportunity to work with orchestras that are very dear to me. My performances with the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic were invaluable experiences. In March, I have planned concerts with the New World Symphony, and on April 26, the San Francisco Symphony will celebrate my 80th birthday. At that moment, we can all say the famous phrase from the theater world: ‘This performance has ended.’”
At the end of his statement, he wrote: “A coda in music is the section that comes at the end of a piece and brings it to conclusion. A coda can be short or long. The coda of my life is generous and rich. Life is valuable.”
Michael Tilson Thomas was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2021 and underwent surgery, which led to the cancellation of his performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He returned to the stage in November of the same year but resigned from his position as artistic director of the New World Symphony in March 2022 due to his health condition. He underwent a second surgery in 2023.
Born in December 1944, Tilson Thomas is a distinguished American conductor, composer, and pianist. He holds the titles of “Music Director Laureate” of the San Francisco Symphony, “Conductor Laureate” of the London Symphony Orchestra, and “Founder and Artistic Director Laureate” of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. He is renowned for his support of modern American composers and his outstanding interpretations of Gustav Mahler’s works. He has won 11 Grammy Awards and received honors such as the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.