When a symphony conductor has rock star charisma, you know his orchestra is the hot ticket in town. San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas has made critics and music lovers around the world take notice. Since he arrived in 1995, he has inspired the musicians and the audience. One of his specialties is Mahler, and the orchestra has embarked on a project of recording all of the composer’s nine symphonies. The Mahler symphonies earned two of San Francisco Symphony’s six Grammy Awards. Tilson Thomas covers the span of music, from the Baroque through the 21st century. A typical season balances Mozart with a world premiere from Bay Area composer John Adams and Beethoven with Shostakovich. But it’s not only serious music that you’ll hear in Davies Symphony Hall. Each spring the San Francisco Symphony ends the season with a special festival. Among recent themes were American Mavericks, featuring musical innovators such as Duke Ellington, and “Of Thee I Sing,” a tribute to the Yiddish theater inspired by memories of Tilson Thomas’ grandparents.