India, April 24 -- Michael Tilson Thomas, the transformative American conductor known to generations as MTT, died on April 22, 2026, at his home in San Francisco at the age of 81. He passed away following a nearly five-year battle with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer first diagnosed in 2021. His death came just two months after his husband and longtime manager, Joshua Robison, died on February 22, 2026, at age 79.

Tilson Thomas was widely considered one of the world's foremost interpreters of Gustav Mahler. His Grammy-winning Mahler Project with the San Francisco Symphony included recordings of all the composer's symphonies and major orchestral songs.

Michael Tilson Thomas Death: Conductor Passes Away at 81 ...