Michael Tilson Thomas says brain tumor has returned, announces final performances in Miami, San Francisco
Famed conductor and longtime director of the San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas announced that his brain tumor has returned and that he is planning to lead his final performance in April.
"My doctors have informed me that the tumor has returned," he said in a statement posted on his website Monday.
Thomas first announced in Aug. 2021 that he had been battling glioblastoma, which required immediate brain surgery.
"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," he said, noting a second surgery and additional treatments were also needed.
Thomas said he is continuing to work with the UCSF Brain Tumor Center and said there are treatment options but noted that the "odds are uncertain."
He went on to say that he is planning to wind down his public appearances in the next couple of months.
Thomas is set to lead performances of the New World Symphony in Miami on the weekend of March 29 and 30, followed by performances on April 5 and 6. On April 26, Thomas is set to lead the San Francisco Symphony in a performance celebrating his 80th birthday.
"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," Thomas said. "Life is precious."
A winner of 12 Grammy awards, Thomas directed the San Francisco Symphony from 1995 to 2020 and co-founded the New World Symphony in 1987.
