Short bio Michael Tilson Thomas
Full biography Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas is an American conductor, composer, and pianist born in Los Angeles, California on December 21, 1944. He is one of the most accomplished and celebrated musicians of his generation, with a career spanning several decades.
He is currently the Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony , where he has been at the helm since 1995, and he is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the New World Symphony , a training orchestra for young musicians in Miami Beach, Florida. Additionally, he holds the position of Conductor Laureate of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Thomas' musical career began as a pianist, and he made his debut at the age of 19 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where his father, Ted Thomas, was the principal bassoonist. He quickly made a name for himself as a conductor, and went on to lead numerous orchestras around the world, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic.
As a composer, Thomas has written a number of works, including his Three Poems of Emily Dickinson, which was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1976, and his From the Diary of Anne Frank, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990.
Thomas has been recognized with many awards and honors throughout his career, including several Grammy Awards, and he has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has also been an outspoken advocate for music education, and has worked to bring classical music to a wider audience through programs like the New World Symphony's WALLCAST concert series, which projects performances onto the side of a building in Miami Beach for free public viewing.
Overall, Michael Tilson Thomas is a highly accomplished and influential figure in the classical music world, known for his talent as a conductor and composer, as well as his dedication to music education and outreach.
Compositions featuring Michael Tilson Thomas
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rilke Songs, for mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone & orchestra ("Meditations on Rilke Texts") | 39:06 min | Vocal Music | 2019 |
| 2 | Notturno, for flute, harp & strings (or flute & piano) | 14:12 min | Chamber Music | 2005 |
| 3 | Island Music, for percussion ensemble | 30:48 min | Chamber Music | 2003 |
| 4 | Poems of Emily Dickinson, for soprano & orchestra | Vocal Music | 2001 | |
| 5 | Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid (Discussion) | 1:11 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 6 | Aaron Copland: Concerto for Piano & Orchestra (Discussion) | 2:50 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 7 | Aaron Copland: Introduction to "The Modernist" and Symphonic Ode (Discussion) | 10:42 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 8 | Aaron Copland: Introduction to "The Populist" (Discussion) | 4:53 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 9 | Aaron Copland: Introduction to Fanfare for the Common Man (Discussion) | 2:29 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 10 | Aaron Copland: Orchestral Variations (Discussion) | 6:27 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 11 | Aaron Copland: Rodeo (Discussion) | 1:31 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 12 | Aaron Copland: Short Symphony (Discussion) | 2:29 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 13 | Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring (Discussion) | 7:18 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 14 | On First Meeting Aaron Copland and Aaron Copland the Man (Discussion) | 5:12 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1999 |
| 15 | We Two Boys Together Clinging, for voice & piano | 6:03 min | Vocal Music | 1993 |
| 16 | From the Diary of Anne Frank, for narrator & orchestra | 41:49 min | Orchestral | 1990 |
| 17 | Upon Further Reflection, for piano | 24:10 min | Keyboard | - |
| 18 | Street Song for brass | 16:53 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 19 | You Come Here Often?, for piano | 4:33 min | Keyboard | - |
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