Michael Tilson Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Michael Tilson Thomas | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | MTT | |
| Born | December 21, 1944 (age 62) | |
| Origin |  Los Angeles, California, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Classical, jazz | |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, conductor, pedagogue, pianist | |
| Instrument(s) | Piano | |
| Associated acts |
Buffalo Philharmonic London Symphony Los Angeles Philharmonic New World Symphony San Francisco Symphony |
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Michael Tilson Thomas (b. December 21, 1944), aka MTT, is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Broadway stage manager Ted Thomas, and the grandson of noted Yiddish theater stars Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky. His mother, Roberta Thomas, was a middle school history teacher.
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[edit] Career
Thomas studied at the University of Southern California under Ingolf Dahl among others. As a student of Friedlinde Wagner, Thomas was a Musical Assistant and Assistant Conductor at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1969 he made his conducting debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, replacing an unwell William Steinberg in mid-concert. He stayed with the Boston ensemble as an assistant conductor until 1974. He was music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1971 to 1979.[1] During much of the time from 1971 to 1977, he also conducted the series of Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic.
From 1981 to 1985 he was principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1988 to 1995 he was principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, becoming principal guest conductor thereafter. In 1995 he became music director of the San Francisco Symphony. Thomas founded the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida in 1987, a premier orchestral academy for gifted young musicians whose stated mission is “...to prepare highly-gifted graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles around the world.”[2] Thomas remains involved, currently serving as the academy's artistic director.
Thomas has conducted a wide variety of music, and is a particular champion of modern American works, recording the complete symphonies of Charles Ives and the premiere recording of Steve Reich's The Desert Music (1984). Reich's composition The Four Sections (1987), was actually commissioned for the San Francisco Symphony and dedicated to Thomas.[3][4] The piece premiered with Thomas in San Francisco and was later recorded for Nonesuch with the London Symphony Orchestra. He is also renowned for his interpretation of the works of Gustav Mahler, and since the death of Leonard Bernstein he is considered the world's premier interpreter of the works of Aaron Copland.
A sampling of Thomas's own compositions include From the Diary of Anne Frank (1990),[5] Shówa/Shoáh (1995),[6] memorializing the fiftieth anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima; Poems of Emily Dickinson (2002);[7] and Urban Legend (2002).[8]
Thomas hosts the Keeping Score television series, three one-hour documentary-style episodes and two live-concert programs which began airing nationally on PBS stations in early November 2006. They have been compared to Leonard Bernstein’s Young People's Concerts which aired in the 1960s.[9]
In April 2005 he conducted the Carnegie Hall premiere of Remembrances of Thomashefsky's Yiddish Theater.[10]
[edit] Awards
Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance
- 2006 Conducting San Francisco Symphony, performing Mahler: Symphony No. 7.
- 2003 Conducting the San Francisco Symphony, performing Mahler: Symphony No. 6.
- 2000 Conducting the Peninsula Boys Choir, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, performing Stravinsky: The Firebird; The Rite of Spring; Perséphone.
- 1997 Conducting the San Francisco Symphony, performing Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet (scenes).
Grammy Award for Best Classical Album
- 2006 Conducting San Francisco Symphony, performing Mahler: Symphony No. 7.
- 2000 Conducting the Peninsula Boys Choir, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, performing Stravinsky: The Firebird; The Rite of Spring; Perséphone.
Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
- 1976 Conducting the Cleveland Boys Choir and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, performing Orff: Carmina Burana
[edit] Quotations
Responding to an interviewer regarding Thomas's choice of favourite composers:
| “ | You can't have Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as your favorite composers: They simply define what music is! |
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— Michael Tilson Thomas
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Michael Tilson Thomas: BPO Music Director, 1971-79. Music Department, University at Buffalo. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ "New World Symphony Statement of Purpose", New World Symphony. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ John Rockwell. "Concert: Philharmonic Plays Reich", New York Times, 1988-1-16. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
- ^ James M. Keller. Program Notes. San Francisco Symphony. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
- ^ Michael Tilson Thomas: From the Diary of Anne Frank. G. Schirmer, Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ Michael Tilson Thomas: Shówa/Shoáh. G. Schirmer, Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ Michael Tilson Thomas: Poems of Emily Dickinson. G. Schirmer, Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ Michael Tilson Thomas: Urban Legend. G. Schirmer, Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ Anthony Tomassini. "Updating ‘Uncle Lenny’ for a Multitasking Age", The New York Times, 2006-11-03. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. (New York Times subscription required)
- ^ Jeff Lunden. "Project Recalls Yiddish Theater Legends", National Public Radio, 2004-04-15. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
[edit] External links
- Michael Tilson Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
- Michael Tilson Thomas at All Music Guide
- Michael Tilson Thomas at G. Schirmer, Inc.
- Michael Tilson Thomas in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, 2001
- Michael Tilson Thomas: WHYY American Mavericks
- Michael Tilson Thomas: Sony Classical Discography
- Michael Tilson Thomas serenades the mountain tapirs at the San Francisco Zoo
- Michael Tilson Thomas at the glbtq encyclopedia
| Preceded by Herbert Blomstedt |
Music Director, San Francisco Symphony 1995- |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by Claudio Abbado |
Principal Conductor, London Symphony Orchestra 1987–1995 |
Succeeded by Sir Colin Davis |
| Preceded by none |
Principal Guest Conductor, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra 1981–1985 |
Succeeded by Simon Rattle |
Categories: 1944 births | 20th century classical composers | American classical pianists | American composers | American conductors | Gay musicians | Grammy Award winners | Jewish American musicians | Jewish classical musicians | Jewish composers and songwriters | LGBT musicians from the United States | Living people | Music educators | People from Los Angeles | San Francisco culture | University of Southern California alumni | Yamaha artists
