From June 21 to 23, MTT leads the San Francisco Symphony in semi-staged performances of Bartók's one-act opera Duke Bluebeard's Castle. The opera, based on the French fairy tale "Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault, will come to life at Davies Symphony Hall with specially designed projections. Bass-baritone Alan Held sings the role of Duke Bluebeard, and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung portrays his new wife Judith. Bartók's opera will be presented alongside Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1, which will feature American pianist Jeremy Denk.

Learn more & purchase tickets here.

Michael Tilson Thomas has announced a new partnership between music publisher Boosey & Hawkes, the New World Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony called New Voices. The program will, over the course of each season, guide an emerging composer from the Americas through the process of commissioning, composing and performing new work. Canadian composer and pianist Zosha Di Castri is New Voices' inaugural composer, and her work will be performed in 2013 in concerts by the New World Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony, both under MTT's baton. "The future of music depends on the nurturing of new composers," said MTT.

Learn more about the New Voices initiative here.

At the end of this month, Michael Tilson Thomas returns to the Barbican Centre to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra. On May 27 MTT performs Mahler's Fourth Symphony with soprano soloist Elizabeth Watts. The program will also include Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, played by Yefim Bronfman. Bronfman joins MTT once again on May 31, when they join Gil Shaham to perform Berg's Chamber Concerto for violin, piano and wind ensemble. The evening will also showcase Mahler's First Symphony, "Titan." Finally, on June 3 MTT leads the Orchestra in Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, "Turkish," featuring Gil Shaham as soloist.

Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Watch MTT, Gil Shaham and Yefim Bronfman discuss their upcoming LSO concerts.

Next week, MTT conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral," with the San Francisco Symphony. MTT's concerts with the SFS open with Mahler's Blumine - the original Andante to the composer's first symphony - and also include Schnittke's Violin Concerto No. 4 with SFS Concertmaster Alexander Barantschik, who celebrates his tenth anniversary with the orchestra this season. Concerts take place May 16, 17, 18 and 19 at Davies Symphony Hall. 

Learn more & purchase tickets here.