Podcast - Robert Thies
David Fogel Interviews Grammy®-nominee Robert Thies
A Grammy(R)-nominated pianist of "unerring, warm-toned refinement, revealing judicious glimmers of power," [Los Angeles Times] Robert Thies (Theece) is an artist renowned for his consummate musicianship and poetic temperament. He captured worldwide attention in 1995 when he would the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, the only American pianist to win first prize in a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn's triumph in Moscow in 1958.
Thies enjoys a diverse career as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. He has performed 40 concerti with orchestras all over the world and his concerts have been broadcast throughout the USA, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Bolivia, Hungary, Mexico, and New Zealand. He earned a Grammy nomination for his work as piano soloist and producer on composer Danae Xanthe Vlasse's album Mythologies II, a recording made with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. In July 2025, he returned to London to record James Viggo Poulsen's Piano Concerto with the same orchestra.
Robert is a Steinway Artist and dedicated chamber musician, as well as the founder of the Thies Consort, an ensemble that performs programs with a stylistic thread. He is also active in the film recording industry in Los Angeles, working with composers John Williams, James Newton Howard, James Horner, Danny Elfman, and Mychael Danna, among others. He is featured in The Fabelmans and performed on the recent release Disclosure Day. Robert also has a lifelong interest in improvisation and composition and is a sought-after teacher.
Please enjoy this long-format conversation between David Fogel (CEO, The Symphonina Foundation) and Robert.