The Los Angeles Post
U.S. World Business Lifestyle
Today: March 30, 2025
Today: March 30, 2025

Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas says brain tumor has returned

Tilson Thomas-Brain Tumor
February 24, 2025

Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas' brain tumor has returned, and the 80-year-old intends to lead his final performance in April.

Thomas announced in August 2021 that he had undergone surgery for a glioblastoma. He returned to conduct with a reduced schedule and the following March resigned as artistic director of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, after 34 seasons. He led the New York Philharmonic's opening subscription program in September,

“The 3 ½ 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,” he said in a statement Monday.

Thomas said there are treatment options for the tumor, “but the odds are uncertain.”

Thomas was music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic from 1971-1979, and music director of the San Francisco Symphony from 1995-2020.

He is to conduct the New World Symphony on March 29 and 30, and on April 5 and 6, then the San Francisco Symphony on April 26 in a belated 80th birthday celebration.

“At that point we all get to say the old show business expression, ‘It’s a wrap,’” he said. “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.”

Share This

Popular

Arts|Education|Entertainment|Political|Sports

Psychologist explains how sports could have helped, instead of hurt, ‘Adolescence’ character Jamie Miller

Psychologist explains how sports could have helped, instead of hurt, ‘Adolescence’ character Jamie Miller
Arts|Education|Political|US

Trump's order on museums sparks debate among Americans on patriotism and history

Trump's order on museums sparks debate among Americans on patriotism and history
Arts|Education|Entertainment|Fashion and Beauty|Health

Young stroke survivor finds passion in theater despite disability

Young stroke survivor finds passion in theater despite disability
Arts|Asia|Entertainment|World

In tense relations with India, Pakistani TV dramas break down barriers that diplomacy often cannot

In tense relations with India, Pakistani TV dramas break down barriers that diplomacy often cannot

Entertainment

Celebrity|Entertainment

Actor Richard Chamberlain dies at 90

Actor Richard Chamberlain dies at 90
Entertainment|Health|Lifestyle

Adults can sleep with stuffed animals, too. It might even be a good thing, experts say

Adults can sleep with stuffed animals, too. It might even be a good thing, experts say
Arts|Education|Entertainment|Political|Sports

Psychologist explains how sports could have helped, instead of hurt, ‘Adolescence’ character Jamie Miller

Psychologist explains how sports could have helped, instead of hurt, ‘Adolescence’ character Jamie Miller
Entertainment|Environment|Food|Lifestyle|Political

Queer and trans homesteaders are conquering the social media frontier

Queer and trans homesteaders are conquering the social media frontier