An internationally acclaimed pianist with the rare distinction of being the first American since Van Cliburn to win a Russian piano competition returns to South Pasadena this weekend. Robert Thies will perform works by Schumann, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff at the South Pasadena Library Community Room on Sunday, March 9.
The performance is part of the Restoration Concerts Series, which brings world-class chamber music to the community while raising funds for improvements to the local library. The series, approaching its 30th anniversary, has raised over $1.5 million for library enhancements since its inception in 1996 through the efforts of the Friends of the South Pasadena Library.
“The Restoration Concerts Committee’s goal is to bring world-class chamber music at an affordable price to the concertgoers in South Pasadena and surrounding communities,” said Betty Emirhanian, Chairperson of the Friends’ Restoration Concerts Committee. “Our name ‘Restoration Concerts’ refers to our secondary goal which is to provide for restorations, enhancements and other benefits to the South Pasadena Library and Community Room.”
Thies gained international recognition in 1995 when he won the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. This victory made him the first American pianist to win a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn’s triumph in Moscow in 1958.
Thies has performed extensively throughout his career as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician with numerous orchestras worldwide. These include the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Mexico City Philharmonic, and Auckland Philharmonia, demonstrating his global appeal and artistic excellence.
His repertoire includes mastery of 40 different piano concertos, and he has contributed to film and television soundtracks with renowned composers such as James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, and John Williams.
In September 2024, Thies joined the piano faculty of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach.
The concert will take place in an intimate setting that seats only 150 people, offering a rare proximity to a musician of Thies’ caliber.
“The community room is a fairly intimate setting, and so having an opportunity to hear music in a more intimate setting makes the music much more accessible and immediate,” Emirhanian said. “We only have maybe 140, 150 people in our venue. So it is really a wonderful way to be able to be close to the musician and hear it in a much [more intimate] setting.”
Over the years, concert proceeds have transformed the South Pasadena Library Community Room into an acoustic gem featuring a nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano. The venue’s quality and intimacy allow audience members to experience classical music in a way that larger concert halls cannot provide.
The Restoration Concerts Series began during South Pasadena’s 1996 centennial celebrations when volunteer Cindy Lee conceived a special chamber music event. It has since evolved into a recurring program with a unique funding model where all net proceeds directly benefit library facilities.
“We are presenting music that is incredibly beautiful and timeless, and it isn’t of the moment,” Emirhanian explained. “It’s of many, many years going back. And we’ll be here many, many years from now. And so it’s a way to connect to the past and to the future and to hear the best music ever written.”
The success of the concert series relies entirely on community involvement and dedication.
“Restoration concerts is entirely run by a committee of volunteers who donate countless hours to bring each concert performance to fruition. Some of these volunteers have been doing this for well over 20 years,” Emirhanian said.
The series has hosted over 200 concerts since 1996, featuring Grammy-winning artists and celebrated ensembles. Thies, who is local to the Los Angeles area, has been a longtime performer with the Restoration Concerts, with audiences anticipating his return each year.
Tickets for the March 9 concert, priced at $20 to $25, are available online at www.friendsofsopaslibrary.org/
The South Pasadena Library Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street.
