Legendary musician, conductor and composer Michael Tilson Thomas’s Pacific Heights residence has hit the market. The historic mansion at 2670 Pierce Street was Thomas’s home for 32 years, where he lived with his husband and longtime manager, Joshua Robison. Thomas died in April 2026, just two months after Robison’s death. Now, for the first time since the 12-time Grammy winner bought the property in 1994, the four-level San Francisco home is up for sale, with an asking price of $9.85 million, according to Robb Report.
Historic Pacific Heights address
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This Pacific Heights mansion belonged to musical royalty for three decades. But the mansion has its own history. The mansion was built in 1906 by San Francisco contractor Jeremiah Deneen for himself, according to Anne and Arthur Bloomfield, the authors of ‘Gables and Fables: A Portrait of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights’. Deneen was a pivotal figure in San Francisco’s post-earthquake reconstruction, selected by Mayor James Phelan for the ‘Committee of Fifty’, a body tasked with reshaping the city’s urban landscape. He built and designed the Pierce Street house with his unique architectural ideas.
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The 7,090-sq-ft home is curated with a blend of Arts and Crafts, Tudor Revival and Elizabethan traditions. The home’s exterior features these styles, with steep-roofed dormer windows and a distinctive mix of timber and brick façade. Inside, the large living and dining rooms, fireplaces, built-in cabinets and exposed beams reflect these classic architectural styles.
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According to the listing agent, Helena Zaludova of Compass, these characteristics ‘give the house a recognisable identity on the street’. “What makes those architectural details appealing today is the warmth they bring to a house of this scale.”
Michael Tilson Thomas bought the property in 1994
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When Michael Tilson Thomas and Joshua Robison purchased the property in 1994, they immediately recognised its potential, both as a residence and a place befitting a life devoted to music. For nearly three decades, the mansion became their sanctuary. Its capacious rooms and soaring ceilings echoed with their music and also welcomed hundreds of famous guests, including conductors, composers, performers like Linda Ronstadt and architects like Frank Gehry.
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The couple preserved the mansion’s historic details while adding modern amenities to it. A 2012 remodel brought the home into contemporary luxury without erasing its character. The kitchen was significantly updated. Now it features upscale appliances, custom cabinetry and a glassed-in breakfast nook that floods the space with light. The dramatic staircase, retained from Deneen’s original design, leads to a media room and two dedicated offices. On the top level, beneath angled ceilings and oversized skylights, sits a family room and lounge with breathtaking bay views. The couple also added a guest suite to the mansion, along with a home gym and wine storage, expanding the home’s functionality without sacrificing its historic soul.
What the buyer gets
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The mansion has seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms across its four levels. Beyond the primary residence, the updated kitchen and formal dining room, both retaining fireplaces, anchor the home’s living spaces. There is built-in cabinetry throughout, and the exposed-beam ceilings maintain visual continuity with the original design.
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The home sits on a 2,130-sq-ft corner lot with trees in the front and a private garden, which the listing agents describe as a ‘rear garden oasis’.
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After the musician’s death, the home is now being sold through a trust. “When I first saw the home, I could feel the beauty and love that had lived here. The two Yamaha pianos, Michael’s composing keyboard and the extraordinary personal collection of musical scores and artefacts 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,” an anonymous estate trustee shared in a press statement.For buyers seeking a property where architectural history meets modern convenience, this Pacific Heights address is a seamless fit. Needless to say, it comes with its famous history and lineage.