Robert Thies

Robert Edward Thies is an American pianist, composer, recording artist, and producer. In 1995, he won the Gold Medal at the International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a concert pianist, his work encompasses performing solo recitals, chamber music, and concerti with orchestras internationally. He has worked with such film composers as John Williams, James Horner, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, and Mychael Danna, and his playing has been featured in films, The Fabelmans, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Concussion, Fracture, Life of Pi, and Fifty Shades Freed, among others.

Early life and education Thies was born in Neptune, New Jersey. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was three years of age. As a young child, Thies began playing piano by by ear, repeating melodies he heard on television, and started formal piano lessons at the age five. He later studied piano with Robert Turner. In 1987, he was a featured pianist for a Chinese American 10-day music tour in Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing, and In 1991 won the grand prize and first prize for "Best Pianist" at the 23rd Young Artist Awards in Southern California. Thies was a student of Daniel Pollack at USC Thornton School of Music where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in 1993 and a Master of Music Degree in 1995.

Career In 1995, Thies won the Gold Medal at the International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, becoming the first American pianist in 37 years to win first prize in a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958. He was recognized by the White House, Dianne Feinstein, and Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. The City of Los Angeles proclaimed February 16, 1996 as "Robert Edward Thies Day."

Thies' concerts have been broadcast throughout the United States, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Bolivia, Hungary, Mexico, and New Zealand. He has been a featured performer with the Louisville Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, among others and has performed at the Philharmonia Grand Hall, St. Petersburg, The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Ambassador Auditorium, and others.

In 2024, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Mythologies II for Best Classical Compendium.

Composer As a composer, Thies has created five albums with flutist, Damjan Krajacic, for Gentle Rain Music called Blue Landscapes: Music from a Quieter Place. They also partnered with NY Times reporter, Ian Urbina on his book The Outlaw Ocean, and released Blue Landscapes: The Seas. Blue Landscapes III: Frontiers, Blue Landscapes IV: Meditations, and Blue Landscapes V: Forever the Sea all won Global Music Awards.

Discography Source: 2025 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic – Blue Landscapes V: Forever the Sea (Music from a Quieter Place) – Piano, Composer 2025 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic, Chris Wabich – Northern Winds – Piano, Composer 2024 – Danaë Xanthe Vlasse – Mythologies II – Primary Artist, Producer, Piano 2024 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic – Blue Landscapes IV: Meditations (Music from a Quieter Place) – Piano, Composer 2021 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic, Ian Urbina – Blue Landscapes: The Seas (Inspired by ‘The Outlaw Ocean’ a book by Ian Urbina) – Piano, Composer 2021 – Danaë Xanthe Vlasse – Mythologies – Piano 2020 – Danaë Xanthe Vlasse – Poème – Primary Artist, Piano 2020 – Thies, David Sapadin – Brahms: Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano 2020 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic – Blue Landscapes III: Frontiers (Music from a Quieter Place) – Piano, Composer 2020 – Bruce Broughton's Sonata for Cello and Piano – A Changed Embrace – Piano 2019 – Gernot Wolfgang – Vienna and the West – Piano 2019 – Chad Cannon – The Dreams of a Sleeping World – Piano 2016 – Elia Cmiral – The Chamber Works – Piano 2016 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic – Blue Landscapes II: Discoveries (Music from a Quieter Place) – Piano, Composer 2016 – Shie Rozow – Musical Fantasy: Works by Shie Rozow – Thies, Primary Artist, Arranger, Piano 2016 – Gernot Wolfgang – Passing Through – Groove-Oriented Chamber – Piano 2013 – The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s – Music from the Left Coast – Piano 2013 – Caroline Campbell – From Hollywood with Love – Piano 2012 – Thies, Damjan Krajacic – Blue Landscapes – Piano, Composer 2011 – Kevin Kaska – The Chamber Works – Piano 2010 – Josh Groban – Illuminations – Harpsichord, Piano 2006 – Danny Elfman – Serenada Schizophrana – Keyboards, Piano 2006 – Robert Thies – Live in Recital – Primary Artist, Piano 2006 – Gernot Wolfgang – Common Ground – Piano

Selected filmography Source: 2024 – Dear Santa – Celeste 2023 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever – Piano 2023 – Candy Cane Lane – Keyboards 2022 – The Fabelmans – Celeste 2022 – The Lost City – Piano 2021 – 8-Bit Christmas – Piano 2021 – Ghostbusters: Afterlife – Celeste, Piano 2021 – The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – Piano 2020 – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Piano 2020 – The Way Back – Piano 2019 – Annabelle Comes Home – Piano 2018 – Painted Woman – Piano 2018 – Green Book – Keyboards 2017 – La La Land – Celeste, Piano 2017 – Logan – Piano 2017 – Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle – Piano 2016 – Penny Dreadful Seasons 1, 2 & 3 – Piano 2016 – Independence Day: Resurgence – Keyboards 2016 – The Accountant 2015 – The Good Dinosaur – Piano, Toy Piano 2015 – Concussion – Piano 2012 – The Amazing Spider-Man – Piano 2012 – Life of Pi – Piano 2011 – Moneyball – Piano 2009 – The Time Traveler's Wife – Piano 2008 – Body of Lies – Piano 2007 – Year of the Dog – Piano 2007 – American Gangster – Piano 2005 – King Kong 2005 – Flightplan – Piano