THIS IS VIDEO WHERE YOU CAN SEE
HEAVY SMOKE AND FLAMES.
NO ONE WAS INJURED.
ONE OF THE HIGHEST
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE ARTS.
THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORING
AIRS THIS SUNDAY ON CBS4.
ONE OF THE HONOREES IS FROM
HERE.
LISA PETRILLO SAT DOWN WITH NEW
WORLD SYMPHONY DIRECTOR MICHAEL
TILLSON THOMAS.
Reporter: I'M HERE WITH AT
THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY.
MICHAEL TILLSON THOMAS IS A
CHAMPION FOR THE MUSIC AWARD
WHOSE IMPACT IS EARNING HIM A
MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD.
WE MET UP WITH THE WORLD RENOWN
CONDUCTOR KNOWN TO HIS FRIENDS
AS MTT IN WASHINGTON DC JUST
HOURS BEFORE HE WAS TO RECEIVE
THE KENNEDY CENTER HONOR.
HE FIRST WIELDED THE BATON AS A
CONDUCTOR 50 YEARS AGO.
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT WHEN THE
MAIN CONDUCTOR GOT SICK.
THEY SAID YOU, PUT YOUR SUIT
SON, YOU WILL CONDUCT.
AND HERE WE ARE TODAY.
Reporter: HE WENT ONTO LEAD
THE LONDON SYMPHONY AND SAN
FRANCISCO SYMPHONY.
AND SINCE 1988, HE HAS BEEN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND COFOUNDER
OF MIAMI'S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY.
IS MOST OF YOUR TIME JUGGLED
BETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE
NEW WORLD SYMPHONY IN MIAMI?
I WOULD CALL IT ELEGANTLY
COUNTERBALANCED BETWEEN SAN
FRANCISCO AND MIAMI.
Reporter: RECOGNIZED AS A
WORLD LEADER IN SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRAS, HE IS KNOWN FOR THE
INTENSE STARE DOWN FROM HIS
PLATFORM AND THE WAY HE
TRANSLATES THE MUSIC THAT SEEMS
TO COME THROUGH HIS SOUL.
WHAT IS THE FEELING WHEN YOU
ARE STANDING THERE.
AND HAVING THAT ORCHESTRA IN
FRONT OF YOU, WHAT'S THE
FEELING?
IT IS AS IF YOUR EYES BECOME
LIKE A CAMERA.
SUDDENLY, YOU ARE JUST SEEING
THOSE PEOPLE.
THEN IT IS TIME TO LOOK AT THE
HEART.
AND THEN WHEN YOU ARE
CONDUCTING THAT'S GOING ON.
YOU WILL NOTICE, I'M NOT
LOOKING AT THE FIRST VIOLIN.
BECAUSE THE FIRST VIOLIN IS
RIGHT NEXT TO ME.
I'M LOOKING MORE AT THE PERSONS
ON THE BACK STAND.
BECAUSE, THEY ARE FAR AWAY AND
I WANT TO BRING THEM INTO THE
CENTER.
Reporter: HE HAS EARNED MANY
ACCOLADES.
PRESIDENT OBAMA AWARDED HIM THE
NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS.
HE WON 11-GRAMNY AWARDS.
NOW THE KENNEDY CENTER HONOR.
IT IS FOR ARTIST WHO'S HAVE A
PROFOUND ARTISTIC IMPACT.
IT HAPPENS IN THIS BUILDING.
I KNOW I COME FROM A LONG
TRADITION OF GREAT MUSICIANS
AND PEOPLE DEVOTED TO EDUCATION
STARTING WITH MY PARENTS AND
PEOPLE LIKE LEONARD BERNSTEIN.
BUT I'M VERY PROUD OF
PIONEERING WORK THAT I HAVE
DONE IN SAN FRANCISCO, LONDON,
AND, IN FLORIDA OF COURSE.
BECAUSE THE ALUMS OF THE NEW
WORLD SYMPHONY ARE GOING OUT
THERE, MAKING SUCH A
DIFFERENCE.
DOING SUCH CREATIVE AND GUTSY
THINGS.
Reporter: GUTSY LIKE HIS
COLLABORATION WITH METALLICA
THIS SEPTEMBER IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
ONE EXAMPLE OF HIS WIDE REACH
IN THE MUSIC WORLD.
WAS IT FUN?
OH GREAT FUN.
CRAZY FUN.
I LOVE PLAYING OUT TO THEM.
BUT IN CLASSICAL MUSIC THERE
ARE MOMENTS WHICH ARE KIND OF
HEAVY METAL MOMENTS.
Reporter: SARAH ERIKSON
WHOSE FATHER COFOUNDED THE NEW
WORLD SYMPHONY WITH MIKE SAYS
THEIR IMPACT HAS BEEN
MONUMENTAL.
I COULD GO MOST PLACES IN
THE WORLD.
AND SAY NEW WORLD SYMPHONY.
AND, GET AN INCREDIBLE
RESPONSE.
Reporter: THE NEW WORLD
CENTER OPENED IN 2011.
THE BUILDING FEATURES THE
PERFECTLY PLACED WALL CAST
GIVING MUSIC TO THE COMMUNITY
FOR FREE.
WHEN I LOOK OUT AND SEE
THESE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH
ALL OF THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR
PETS.
AND THEIR BLANKETS.
AND, EVERYTHING.
I AM JUST DEEPLY TOUCHED BY
THAT.
Reporter: BUT IT'S HIS
TEACHING ROLE WITH THE FELLOWS
AT NEW WORLD SYMPHONY THAT
GIVES HIM THE MOST REWARDS.
YOU CAN FIND YOURSELF
THINKING SOMETIMES WHAT DID I
DO?
IS THIS ALL WORTH IT?
AND WHEN A MEET A NEW YOUNG
MUSICIAN WHO SAYS MY GOSH, THIS
STRAVINSKY PIECE IS EVERYTHING
FOR ME.
IT WAS WORTH IT.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND
TO YOU A PERSONAL INVITATION TO
WATCH A FREE WALL CAST PARTY OF
THE HONORS.
LISA PETRILLO WILL HOST THE
FESTIVITIES WHICH GET UNDERWAY
SHORTLY BEFORE 8:00 SUNDAY
EVENING AT THE SOUNDSCAPE PARK
ON THE GROUNDS OF THE NEW WORLD
CENTER IN MIAMI BEACH.
WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US THERE.
IT IS SUCH A SPECIAL THING.
HE IS SUCH AN ICONIC FIGURE