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Michael Tilson Thomas

At the age of 24 he was given an opportunity granted to few and dreamed of by many, when he took over the maestro's baton of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in mid-concert after their conductor had fallen ill. Since then, flair and good looks have helped him gain international recognition. While his ambition to bring music to the people has made him something of a television star in the United States.

At 43, he was tapped to be the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and seven years later to lead the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra until his retirement in 2020. He loves all music and his admires love him. They call him the most exciting American conductor since Leonard Bernstein.

Let's discuss the American conductor and virtuoso Michael Tilson Thomas

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by Anonymousreply 52February 26, 2024 8:48 PM

His Mahler 6 with SFO is one of the best I have ever heard

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by Anonymousreply 1April 30, 2023 2:55 AM

He's dying from glioblastoma, the nearly 100% fatal brain tumor John McCain had. Diagnosed about a year ago.

by Anonymousreply 2April 30, 2023 2:56 AM

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

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by Anonymousreply 3April 30, 2023 2:57 AM

R2 how terrible. Praying for him and his family

by Anonymousreply 4April 30, 2023 2:58 AM

Michael Tilson Thomas on Desert Island Discs

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by Anonymousreply 5April 30, 2023 2:59 AM

A real cutie as a youth.

He and his husband, Joshua Robison, have been together forever. More than 50 years.

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by Anonymousreply 6April 30, 2023 2:59 AM

Tilson Thomas leading SFO in Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony.

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by Anonymousreply 7April 30, 2023 3:00 AM

An American I actually like

by Anonymousreply 8April 30, 2023 3:01 AM

[quote] Eric Porter's new book is called "A People's History of SFO: The Making of the Bay and an Airport

Perhaps he did encounter Eric Porter.

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by Anonymousreply 9April 30, 2023 3:02 AM

MTT leading SFO and violinist Julia Fischer in Brahms violin concerto

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by Anonymousreply 10April 30, 2023 3:12 AM

MTT on Mahler

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by Anonymousreply 11April 30, 2023 3:16 AM

Nice article about them

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by Anonymousreply 12April 30, 2023 3:17 AM

I love him on Miami Vice! Did he ever get his EGOT?

by Anonymousreply 13April 30, 2023 3:37 AM

R9 you're obsessed

by Anonymousreply 14April 30, 2023 4:00 AM

Good looks? Ugh, not at all.

by Anonymousreply 15April 30, 2023 4:24 AM

One of my favorite things MTT's been involved with is this TV program where he walks through the history and contours of The Rite of Spring.

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by Anonymousreply 16April 30, 2023 4:33 AM

His Nutcracker with the Philharmonia Orchestra (released in 1990) is fabulous. Yes, the Nutcracker has been done to death, and he's done it himself with many different orchestras. But still, an all-time fave.

by Anonymousreply 17April 30, 2023 4:43 AM

Grandson of Boris Thomasshefsky

by Anonymousreply 18April 30, 2023 4:52 AM

r16 TROS probably has some of the most brilliantly bizarre choreography of any ballet that exists. Nijinsky was a genius.

Doesn't work so well out of context, though.

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by Anonymousreply 19April 30, 2023 5:09 AM

His Mahler cycle with SFO is great.

by Anonymousreply 20April 30, 2023 1:37 PM

A good American gay

by Anonymousreply 21May 1, 2023 1:14 PM

Love his Tchaikovsky

by Anonymousreply 22May 31, 2023 3:25 AM

Thanks so much for this post, OP. Had no idea about MTT's handsome husbear, or that they had a place in hippy-trippy (and beautiful) peaceful Bolinas up in Marin. Until COVID, he was always in the local press, was openly gay, but didn't have much to do with the gay community here, as far as I could tell. He was embedded in San Francisco high society. Have only attended one or two concerts at Davies - not my thing - but he was beloved by everyone. Sad to learn that he has glioblastoma, which is generally untreatable. It's so cute that they went to school together as tweens.

by Anonymousreply 23May 31, 2023 6:11 AM

He was a protogee of Leonard Bernstein and I bet he's got some damned good stories.

by Anonymousreply 24May 31, 2023 6:21 AM

I like him better than Bernstein

by Anonymousreply 25May 31, 2023 1:06 PM

His rap name is Emm Tee Tee.

by Anonymousreply 26May 31, 2023 1:53 PM

My go-to composer. Love him

by Anonymousreply 27June 8, 2023 12:02 AM

I love his Mahler interpretations He adds wit and curiosity that a lot of conductors omit.

by Anonymousreply 28June 8, 2023 12:03 AM

Didn’t he end his SF Sym career with the Mahler 8th? What a way to go.

by Anonymousreply 29June 8, 2023 1:00 AM

Had a massive coke habit in his late 20s - mid 30s.

by Anonymousreply 30June 8, 2023 1:11 AM

R29 Mahler 9th!

by Anonymousreply 31June 8, 2023 2:01 AM

I like his Mahler 3, but the volume is so low, I have to turn it way up.

by Anonymousreply 32June 8, 2023 3:58 AM

R32 why?

by Anonymousreply 33June 9, 2023 2:01 AM

r33 Who knows?

by Anonymousreply 34June 9, 2023 2:02 AM

I've had the (dis)pleasure of seeing him swish to the podium at Davies Symphony Hall.

You think Lenny ever tried to fuck him?

by Anonymousreply 35June 9, 2023 10:37 AM

Not sure, R35, but I am sure you're a cunt.

by Anonymousreply 36June 9, 2023 12:16 PM

I worked for a year or so at New World Symphony, the training symphony that MTT founded in 1987. MTT was beloved...by the musicians he was training, by donors (gevalt, the yentas were kvelling. A Thomashefksy no less!!), and most importantly, by audiences. And he deserves it. What a sweet, thoughtful man.

His husband, Joshua Robison, on the other hand, was a terror. This was in the late 80s, early 90s when Robison was "managing" MTT's career. His demands (on behalf of Thomas, no doubt) were so over the top, as to be risible. If rolling your eyes made noise, Robison's visits to the Development Office would have sounded like the percussion section of Firebird Suite. I once made the unforgiveable error of spelling his name RobiNson...with an N, on one of MTT's itineraries. Oy....In the right light, you can still see the scar.

Big MTT fan here. Robison....not so much.

by Anonymousreply 37June 9, 2023 12:44 PM

R37 opposites attract

by Anonymousreply 38June 9, 2023 1:08 PM

He looks like a a gay version of Martin Short.

Oh , wait

Martin Short IS gay.

by Anonymousreply 39June 9, 2023 1:22 PM

Okay, R36. Perhaps mince would have been the more accurate term.

by Anonymousreply 40June 9, 2023 2:39 PM

An MTT hater. Who'da thunk it?

by Anonymousreply 41June 9, 2023 2:42 PM

R41 how can you hate him??

by Anonymousreply 42June 9, 2023 10:18 PM

I saw him a few times when he was with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. I’m not an aficionado as such but some of his concerts were thrilling

by Anonymousreply 43June 10, 2023 12:00 AM

LOVE him, OP. Only got to see him live once -- an all Gershwin program which he conducted beautifully. He's apparently been quite active still conducting and even premiering a new composition this year. Hopefully it's a good year for him. As you can see from his, IG, he was conducting in Zurich just three days ago.

And, I agree with someone else up thread, I think he was very attractive in his younger days.

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by Anonymousreply 44June 10, 2023 12:02 AM

He's great! A perfect guy

by Anonymousreply 45August 1, 2023 2:17 AM

He’s very well hung, but I forget how I know this.

by Anonymousreply 46August 1, 2023 2:21 AM

He's no Seiji Ozawa, whom I adored and who was very sweet to my mother on many occasions.

But Michael Tilson Thomas is/was a wonderful conductor. I hope that he's not suffering.

by Anonymousreply 47August 1, 2023 2:33 AM

R47 Oooh I love Seiji Ozawa. I started a thread about him, too

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by Anonymousreply 48August 1, 2023 2:50 AM

Bump

by Anonymousreply 49February 26, 2024 6:33 PM

I got invited by a friend to attend MTT conducting the SF Symphony on Jan 25. The selection was Mahler Symphony No. 5. An absolutely sublime evening of beautiful music. He received a lengthy standing ovation (and deserved every minute) and there was a lovely reception afterward honoring him. An evening to remember.

by Anonymousreply 50February 26, 2024 7:04 PM

[quote] I've had the (dis)pleasure of seeing him swish to the podium at Davies Symphony Hall.

Sorry, I should have used the more accurate term "mince".

by Anonymousreply 51February 26, 2024 8:23 PM

Meh, he’s no Rob Fisher.

by Anonymousreply 52February 26, 2024 8:48 PM
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