Metallica has paid tribute to classical conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, who died Wednesday at age 81 after battling brain cancer. The band shared an Instagram post Thursday honoring his role in their 2019 S&M2 concerts with the San Francisco Symphony. Thomas, known as MTT, led the orchestra as its musical director for 25 years.
Metallica described Thomas as a towering figure in classical music and a driving force behind the S&M2 performances. “It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of legendary conductor Michael Tilson Thomas,” the band wrote. They noted his accomplishments as a pianist and composer, along with his 12 Grammy Awards and innovations at the San Francisco Symphony, including fostering contemporary music and community engagement. “We cherished our time with MTT and learned so much working with him to prepare the S&M2 performances; it was a very high honor to have him on the podium for our shows,” Metallica added. “He will be sorely missed.”