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Celebrated orchestra leader Michael Tilson Thomas has died

NPR | By Jeff Lunden
Published April 23, 2026 at 4:43 PM CDT

Conductor, composer and educator Michael Tilson Thomas, who led the San Francisco Symphony for 25 years, establishing its reputation as a world-class orchestra, died Wednesday. He was 81.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Jeff Lunden
Jeff Lunden is a freelance arts reporter and producer whose stories have been heard on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, as well as on other public radio programs.