Tra quanti esprimono dolore e profondo rammarico per la scomparsa del celebre direttore d'orchestra, pianista e compositore statunitense Michael Tilson Thomas (1944-2026), a soli due mesi dalla perdita del partner Joshua Robison, c'è naturalmente Steve Reich: "Michael was a great musician and a lifelong friend. He championed my music starting in 1971, when he and I and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed my Four Organs in Boston and two years later in Carnegie Hall. In 1984, he conducted the world premiere performances of The Desert Music and recorded it for Nonesuch. In the early ’90s he performed and recorded Three Movements and The Four Sections with the London Symphony Orchestra. He remained a steadfast supporter through his many years leading the San Francisco Symphony performing several of my works, including a particularly amusing performance we did together of my Clapping Music. Michael Tilson Thomas was one of the world’s finest musicians. He and Joshua Robison were both generous, exceptionally perceptive, and altogether extraordinary human beings. I will treasure their memory as long as I live." E per l'occasione rispunta un video dove i due insieme ricordano il clamore suscitato dall'esecuzione di Four Organs alla Carnegie Hall di New York: era il 18 gennaio 1973, e fece storia.
It is with deep sadness that we let you know of Michael Tilson Thomas’s passing on April 22, 2026. In 2021, Michael was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, an aggressive type of brain cancer. Through his illness he continued to make music—a testament to his legacy as an artist and communicator. He was preceded in death by his husband Joshua Robison, and passed away at home surrounded by loved ones and family. Joshua and Michael are survived by their sisters, nieces, and nephews.
