Michael Tilson Thomas, the renowned American conductor, composer, visionary and co-founder of Miami Beach’s prestigious New World Symphony, died Wednesday. He was 81. Surrounded by friends and family, Tilson Thomas died at his home in San Francisco from glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, the New World Symphony confirmed. His husband Joshua Robison died Feb. 22. The couple is survived by their sisters, nieces and nephews. Tilson Thomas’ illustrious musical career spanned decades. Even after his cancer diagnosis in 2021, he continued to make music and perform live until April 2025, the New York Times reported. His many accolades include curating and conducting at Carnegie Hall, winning 12 Grammy Awards, receiving the National Medal of Arts, being inducted into the California Hall of Fame and receiving Kennedy Center Honors in 2019. He was the music director of the San Francisco Symphony for 25 years and artistic director of the New World Symphony for 34 years. Tilson Thomas’ New World Symphony, an ensemble and intensive three-year fellowship program for music school graduates to hone their craft, and its home at the New World Center in Miami Beach, are considered to be crown jewels in the Miami area’s art scene. “MTT was a master of wrestling a dream into reality. He coached us all in the process. First the dream, then the hard work—of mastering a piece of music, of building a career, of establishing an institution,” said New World Symphony President and CEO Howard Herring in a statement. “One of MTT’s most profound ideas was the New World Symphony, where the imagined future meets the hard work, every day. After 38 years, it is clear that MTT’s concept of an orchestral academy is here to stay. We celebrate his artistry and his persistence, personal qualities that have guided us to this moment and will fuel us going forward.” In March 2022, Tilson Thomas announced he was stepping down from his role as New World Symphony’s artistic director due to his health. He assumed the less
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