Two performances this weekend by the New World Symphony in Miami Beach are bound to be among the most poignant in its nearly 40-year history.
They will mark the last time the symphony is led by the conductor affectionately known as "M-T-T."
In March of 2022, Michael Tilson Thomas announced that he was stepping down as artistic director of the New World Symphony, the orchestral academy he co-founded in 1987.
Months earlier, he had been diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer.
Last month, 80-year-old Tilson Thomas went public with the news that, after over three years of treatment that kept the illness at bay, the tumor had returned and he would be scaling back his performances.
READ MORE: New World Symphony's Tilson Thomas says brain cancer has returned
This weekend, the famed conductor returns to Miami Beach to lead his last two concerts with the orchestra.
"Michael is a relentlessly positive person," says Howard Herring, President and CEO of the New World Symphony.
He says Tilson Thomas's style at the podium allows the musicians to be themselves.
"It's counter to what most people understand as a conductor. He's not conducting, he's inviting — and the result is glorious."
The third and last piece on this weekend's program has special significance: it's Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the same piece the New World Symphony played at the conclusion of its inaugural performance in Miami in 1988.
IF YOU GO
What: Beethoven 5: MTT's Final New World Symphony Performances
When: Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Where: New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall, 500 17th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
For more information: nws.edu
