A Visionary Conductor’s 120-Year-Old San Francisco Home Lists for Nearly $10 Million

When Michael Tilson Thomas—widely known as “MTT”—was inducted into the 42nd annual Kennedy Center Honors class of 2019, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich showed up to pay tribute to the San Francisco Symphony’s longtime music director. “Why is a member of Metallica here to honor the world-renowned maestro?” he asked. The answer was forged three months earlier: On a massive circular stage at the Chase Center arena in San Francisco, Thomas and his symphony joined forces with the metal titans for their historic S&M2 concert, with classical virtuosos and heavy metal icons seated side-by-side. As Ulrich eloquently put it in his speech, “In addition to being one of the most esteemed conductors of all time, he’s also an educator and a scholar with a deeply profound understanding of music—all music—from medieval to hard rock, from Mosolov to, well, Metallica.” That Mosolov reference? A nod to the historic moment when Metallica joined the symphony to blast through Alexander Mosolov’s 1926 futurist piece, “The Iron Foundry”—the band’s first-ever cover of a purely classical work. RELATED: This $65 Million San Francisco Compound Was Built on the Site of an Old Elementary School Upon the Grammy-winning conductor, composer, and pianist’s death in April at age 81, the Bay Area lost a visionary who forever altered the cultural landscape. Throughout his remarkable 25-year tenure as music director, the Leonard Bernstein protégé transformed the San Francisco Symphony into a global powerhouse by blending core classical standards with daring American repertoire, pioneering an in-house record label, and redefining audience outreach. A deeply personal piece of Thomas’s legacy remains in a Pacific Heights residence he shared for 32 years with his husband and manager Joshua Robison, who passed away two months before him. Acquired by the couple in 1994 for $1.4 million and subsequently renovated, the Tudor Revival residence has returned to the market for $9.85 million, with Helena Zaludova of Compass handling the listing. Completed in 1906 by building contractor Jeremiah Deneen as his personal residence, the half-timbered structure offers seven potential bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and two powder rooms in roughly 7,000 square feet across four levels. A curving staircase in a formal entry foyer on the first floor leads to the main living and entertaining spaces on the second level, where fireside living and dining rooms that have hosted the likes of Frank Gehry and Linda Ronstadt flank an updated kitchen sporting a center island and a bay-windowed breakfast nook overlooking the garden below. Four bedrooms can be found on the third level, including two that share a Jack-and-Jill bath, one that currently serves as a sitting room, and a primary suite that comes with a private patio. The top floor holds another bedroom with its own bath, a study, a media room with a fireplace, and a skylit family room with views over the San Francisco Bay, while the bottom level features a private guest suite, a second study, and a laundry room. There’s also a separate ground-level garage with a fitness space and wine storage. RELATED: This $32 Million San Francisco Family Compound Was Created From a 1900s Apartment Building “When I first saw the home, I could feel the beauty and love that had lived here,” an anonymous estate trustee shared in a press statement. “The two Yamaha pianos, Michael’s composing keyboard and the extraordinary personal collection of musical scores and artifacts made his creative life feel so present. Even now, with their personal belongings and furnishings removed, the house still speaks that same language of sophistication and warmth. The home was important part of Thomas and Robison’s life together in San Francisco and a significant portion of the estate will support organizations that meant a great deal to the couple. Click here for more photos of the Pacific Heights residence. Comments