Robert Edward Thies
Pianist Robert Edward Thies first captured worldwide attention in 1995 when he won the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, becoming the only American pianist to win a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn’s triumph in Moscow in 1958. Pacific Serenades is happy to welcome such an accomplished artist into our musical family.
With a diverse career as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, Robert has performed throughout the world, and he has often worked with tenor Shawn Thuris, who is also performing on these concerts. “Shawn and I work very well together,” Robert shared with me. “Aside from a very compatible musical aesthetic and approach, as we have worked more and more together, we have become good friends. He is a very intelligent and bright human being, and he has a wonderful instrument. It’s been a joy for me to find such a musically gifted singer interested in art song, and together we’ve gotten to perform some wonderful song cycles together.”
Robert is excited to be performing Sharon Farber’s new work. “I first heard her music during the Beverly Hills International Music Festival this past summer and immediately connected with it,” Robert said. “I contacted her, and she sent me many more examples of her music. The experience re-ignited a profound interest within me to be a part of the creative process, and it reminded me how much there is to gain from working with a living composer, especially one so naturally gifted and expressive as Sharon.”
In discussing the rest of the program, Robert was also thrilled to be playing Bernstein’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano. “The Bernstein Sonata is a very playful and beautiful work, deserving of much more attention,” Robert explained. “Although it’s an early work, it reminds me of the genius that Bernstein was, and how much his contributions as a composer really are on par with his more recognized accomplishments as a conductor, pianist, and teacher.”
While these are Robert’s first concerts with us, he has been a fan of Pacific Serenades. “I’ve worked with many of the musicians and I’ve attended concerts in the past. I love both Mark’s direction and the mission of the ensemble. The commissions he has made of these living composers are fantastic contributions to the literature, and Los Angeles is very fortunate to have such an important ensemble in our city,” Robert said.
He went on to describe his joy in performing chamber music. “It can be the most intimate and beautiful form of music-making. With the right partners, the musical experience becomes much more than a performance, but rather a conversation in an intimate setting. I much prefer the smaller salon environments to the big concert stages. While I love to play concerti with orchestra, for me it is in these smaller musical ‘chambers’ that the warmth and spontaneity and beauty of music is revealed on a much more personal, visceral level. By playing in homes, we are better capturing the atmosphere that these great chamber works were intended for. With the audience sitting so near, the musical experience becomes much more alive and tangible for both the musicians and the listeners.”
