Remembering symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas

We remember conductor, composer and musician Michael Tilson Thomas, who died April 22 at age 81. He was a longtime music director of The San Francisco Symphony, known for his innovation, his ability to translate classical music for the general public, and for fostering contemporary music. He founded the New World Symphony for young players. He got his musical inheritance from his grandparents, who were stars of the Yiddish theatre. When he was a kid, his grandmother took him on stage and pointed up to the last row in the balcony, telling him: “Up there are the cheapest seats and in those seats are the people who love the show the most. Whatever you’re doing you must remember that it must reach those people.” He spoke with Terry Gross in 1994 and 2012. John Powers reviews ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2.’ Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly said that both Anne Frank and Audrey Hepburn were born in Holland. Anne Frank was born in Germany, and Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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Remembering symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is an episode from Fresh Air by NPR.

This episode is 44:59 long.

This episode was published on May 1, 2026.

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