Due to health concerns, Michael Tilson Thomas has resigned from conducting two out of his three weeks with the San Francisco Symphony in early 2024.

Renowned American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, who celebrated his 79th birthday yesterday, received a diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2021. This diagnosis came a year after his retirement following a remarkable 25-year tenure as the San Francisco Symphony's music director.

In order to prioritize his well-being, it has been decided that Thomas will not lead the concerts during the weeks of January 18-20 and February 23-25.

For the January 18-20 program, featuring pianist Seong-Jin Cho as the soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Ukrainian-born Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska will take the baton. The program has been adjusted to include Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, "From the New World."

On February 23-25, San Francisco Symphony's Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen will step in to conduct Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” and Brahms’ Violin Concerto with German violinist Julia Fischer. This particular concerto was recently performed by the duo earlier this month during the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm.

Michael Tilson Thomas will continue to conduct the orchestra from January 25-27, presenting a program featuring Mahler's Fifth Symphony. The Symphony recently announced that these performances will mark his final appearances in the organization’s subscription series.

Originally scheduled for the program, Arnold Schoenberg’s “Five Pieces for Orchestra” has been omitted to allow Thomas to concentrate on Mahler, a composer he consistently performed and focused on throughout his illustrious career. His debut with the San Francisco Symphony in 1974 featured him conducting Mahler's Ninth Symphony.