Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas' brain tumor has returned, and the 80-year-old intends to lead his final performance in April.
Thomas announced in August 2021 that he had . He returned to conduct with a reduced schedule and the following March in Miami Beach, Florida, after 34 seasons.
鈥淭he 3 1/2 years since the initial diagnosis have been a special time in my life, filled with friends, family, and music. They have also been challenging as I had to undergo a second operation and manage complications from the treatments that have held the tumor at bay,鈥� he said in a statement Monday.
Thomas said there are treatment options for the tumor, 鈥渂ut the odds are uncertain.鈥�
Thomas was music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic from 1971-1979, and music director of the San Francisco Symphony from 1995-2020.
He is to conduct the New World Symphony on March 29 and 30, and on April 5 and 6, then the San Francisco Symphony on April 26 in a belated 80th birthday celebration.
鈥淎t that point we all get to say the old show business expression, 鈥業t鈥檚 a wrap,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淎 coda is a musical element at the end of a composition that brings the whole piece to a conclusion. A coda can vary greatly in length. My life鈥檚 coda is generous and rich.鈥�
The Associated Press
