Metallica Pays Tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor Behind S&M2

Metallica posted a tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas on Thursday, following the conductor’s death at 81 after a battle with brain cancer. The classical music titan led the San Francisco Symphony for the band’s 2019 S&M2 concerts at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of legendary conductor Michael Tilson Thomas,” the band wrote on Instagram. They called him a towering figure in classical music and recognized him as a driving force behind the performances. Known as MTT, he was more than a conductor. He was an accomplished pianist and composer who served as the San Francisco Symphony’s musical director for 25 years.

Thomas brought the orchestra into a rare collaboration with a metal band, bridging audiences that rarely intersect. The S&M2 project was a sequel to the original 1999 S&M concerts, and it showed how seriously Metallica treats the intersection of heavy music and orchestral arrangement. The tribute feels earned, not obligatory. Thomas was a real partner in that work, not just a hired hand.