If the walls of 2670 Pierce St. could talk, they’d probably sing operatically of two lives devoted to music and to one another: The iconic musician, conductor and composer Michael Tilson Thomas lived in the Pacific Heights mansion with his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. Now, for the first time since 1994, the historic residence is for sale, asking $9.85 million.
Tilson’s contribution to music is hard to capture in a single paragraph. At the end of his life, he was serving as the music director laureate of the San Francisco Symphony, the conductor laureate of the London Symphony Orchestra and the co-founder and artistic director laureate of the New World Symphony, as well as a distinguished professor of music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. But prior to his work in SF, he’d won awards and held prestigious musical roles all over the United States and abroad – a 12-time Grammy winner whose career touched both stage and screen.
Michael Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Sept. 24, 2008. (Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images)
When he died this past April, Tilson was living at 2670 Pierce, the home that he’d shared with his partner of nearly 50 years, Joshua Robison. (Robison, credited as the “force” behind Tilson’s career, died in February of this year.) With its capacious rooms, soaring ceilings and its many windows framing postcard views of San Francisco, the house suited this creative couple, whose long tenancy added to an already interesting history.
The mansion was built in 1906 by San Francisco contractor Jeremiah Deneen for himself and his family, according to Anne and Arthur Bloomfield, the authors of the book, “Gables and Fables: A Portrait of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights.” Deneen was a prominent figure in the rebuilding of San Francisco after the Great Quake, and then-Mayor James Phelan chose him to serve on the exclusive “Committee of Fifty” that was tasked with relocating Chinatown to less desirable real estate after the earthquake, a racist effort that ultimately failed.
The Bloomfields suggest that Deneen designed the Pierce Street house, as well as built it. The 7,090-square-foot home’s design is a unique blend of Arts and Crafts, Tudor Revival and Elizabethan traditions, evidenced on the home’s exterior by the striking steep-roofed dormers and distinctive timbered and brick façade. Inside, features such as the oversized living room and formal dining room, both warmed by fireplaces; built-in cabinetry; and exposed beam ceilings evoke these classical architectural styles.
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
These characteristics “give the house a recognizable identity on the street,” listing agent Helena Zaludova of Compass said. “What makes those architectural details appealing today is the warmth they bring to a house of this scale.”
Tilson and Robison purchased 2670 Pierce St. in 1994, paying $1.4 million. Even then, the original opulence of this four-level abode must have been largely intact, since 32 years later, its careful preservation is still obvious. From the marbled steps off the street and the grand foyer paneled in rich, dark wood to the carved balustrades of the ornate stairway and the delicate door casings and windowsills, the home still celebrates its historic pedigree.
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
But Tilson was an incredible artist who would also make his own impression on the home he owned for over 30 years. And, indeed, a 2012 remodel ushered in the contemporary luxury we see now.
The four-level house offers seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. The kitchen has been updated significantly, resulting in a light and bright space with upscale appliances, custom cabinetry, a large island and a glassed-in breakfast nook. Up the dramatic staircase, we find a media room and two offices and, under the angled ceiling of the home’s topmost level, a family room and lounge with huge skylights and windows framing bay views. Numerous luminaries reportedly visited Thomas over the years, from performer Linda Ronstadt, a Bay Area resident, to architect Frank Gehry, who died in 2025.
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
The home sits on a 2,130-square-foot corner lot, with established trees out front and a “rear garden oasis,” to quote the official listing. Tilson and Robison also added a guest suite, a home gym and some wine storage to the property.
Tilson died in April, and the home is now being sold through a trust. A significant portion of the estate will fund groups that Tilson and Robison supported and were meaningful to them, according to several reports.
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
The historic 1906 mansion at 2670 Pierce St. in San Francisco was home to conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and his husband, Joshua Robison, for more than 30 years. (Tam Lontok)
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This article originally published at SF home of 12-time Grammy winner Michael Tilson Thomas hits the market at $9.9M.