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Pianist Robert Thies and violinist Roger Wilke will be featured at the second concert of the Restoration Concerts 30th season on Sunday, October 18 at 4:00 pm. This distinguished duo will perform music by Elgar, Grieg, de Falla, Brahms and Beethoven. This program is a magnificent musical tour of Europe that showcases how the greatest minds of the 19th and early 20th centuries captured their homeland’s spirit. It bridges the gap between Germanic classical perfection and the vibrant folk traditions of England, Norway, and Spain. Tickets will be available at the door for $25 or online for $26. The concert will be held in the historic Library Community Room at 1115 El Centro St. in South Pasadena.
Grammy®-nominated pianist Robert Thies first captured worldwide attention in 1995 when he won the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St.Petersburg, Russia. With this victory, Thies became the only American pianist to win first prize in a Russian piano competition since 1958.
Thies, a Steinway Artist, enjoys a diverse career as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. He has already performed forty concerti with orchestras all over the world. In 2024 he won a Grammy® nomination for his work as piano soloist and producer on composer Danaë Xanthe Vlasse’s album Mythologies II, a recording made in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The following year, he returned to London to record James Viggo Poulsen’s Piano Concerto with the very same orchestra. . Also active in the film recording industry in Los Angeles, Thies has worked with such composers as John Williams, James Newton Howard, James Horner, and Danny Elfman.
A Southern California native, violinist Roger Wilkie has been the beloved concertmaster of the Long Beach Symphony for over 27 years. He joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at the age of 21, eventually being appointed Principal Second Violin, a position he held until 1989. He has since returned to the ensemble as Guest Concertmaster. He has also served as Guest Concertmaster with the LA Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Real Filharmonia De Galicia, Spain under Music Director, Helmut Rilling. Mr. Wilkie’s career extends to the Hollywood Studios, where he has participated in the soundtracks of over 1000 films as well as television recordings. Mr. Wilkie is an accomplished and sought-after chamber musician and is the founding member of the Angeles String Quartet. He was the solo violinist with Santa Barbara-based Camerata Pacifica on whose series he played hundreds of concerts as recitalist and chamber musician. Presently, Mr. Wilkie is a member of the Pacific Trio.
