Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas Performs Final Concerts

Following a resurgence of glioblastoma, Tilson Thomas has conducted his final concerts with the New World Symphony, which he co-founded in 1987

A GRAMMY Award-winning conductor, composer, and Kennedy Center honoree, Michael Tilson Thomas announced his final performances last month after his medical team confirmed the return of an aggressive brain tumor.

Tilson Thomas, 80, was first diagnosed with the glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer in 2021. In February 2025, he explained in a social media post that he would be scaling back his performances. 

Recently, he stepped down from the second week of his upcoming concerts with the New World Symphony (NWS) on April 5 and 6. 

In his place will be former NWS principal guest conductor Alasdair Neale, who will lead the ensemble in Rossini’s La gazza ladra Overture, Haydn’s Symphony No. 103, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral.”

To honor Tilson Thomas’ remarkable six-decade career, these performances by NWS will pay tribute to his contribution as its co-founder and artistic director for over 30 years. 

The conductor’s final performances with the NWS were held recently at the newly named and endowed Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall on March 29 and 30. 

The program included Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 14, with Jeremy Denk and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, which was also on the program in the first concert Tilson Thomas conducted with NWS 37 years ago. 

“This weekend marks a significant moment in Miami’s cultural history as Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) takes the podium for his final concerts with the New World Symphony,” NWS’s president and CEO Howard Herring told Artburst. “For more than three decades, MTT has shaped not only this remarkable institution but also the artistic landscape of our city. His vision, mentorship, and boundless energy have nurtured generations of musicians, bringing world-class performances and innovative programming to our community … MTT is retiring from the stage, but his influence will remain strong. As we celebrate his extraordinary legacy, we also recognize the profound impact he has had on music education and accessibility. 

Tilson Thomas will be conducting his final public concert on April 26 with the San Francisco Symphony (where he was Music Director for 25 years) to celebrate his 80th birthday. 

Born in 1944 in Los Angeles, Tilson Thomas was conducting premieres of works by Boulez, Copland, Stockhausen, and Stravinsky by the age of 19. He also assisted Pierre Boulez at the Ojai Festival in California. 

The following decades would include Michael’s appointment as assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony under William Steinberg, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In 1988, he founded and directed the Miami-based New World Symphony, and became principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra that same year. Additionally, for 25 years from 1999, he also served as music director of the San Francisco Symphony. 

In celebration of his 80th birthday this year, Sony Classical has released the Michael Tilson Thomas Box Set, an 80-CD set that collects Michael's entire discography from RCA, CBS, and Sony Classical between 1973 and 2005.