High Desert Chamber Music (HDCM) continues its 2016-17 season, presented by Mission Building & Renovation, with award winning pianist Robert Thies. This piano solo recital will take listeners on a voyage through the world’s musical capitals, and some highlights include Beethoven’s Sonata in E-flat Major, The Hunt, Schubert’s Impromptu No. 3, Debussy’s Clair de lune and Gershwin’s beloved Rhapsody in Blue.

Thies has been featured in a number of HDCM events and is certainly no stranger to Central Oregon, having made solo appearances with the Sunriver Music Festival and the Central Oregon Symphony.

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, he became the only American pianist to win first prize in a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn’s famed triumph in Moscow in 1958. Praised for his “thoughtful and intensely moving interpretations” Thies enjoys a diverse career as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician.

This concert will take place on Friday, March 31 at 7:30pm at Bend Church (formerly First United Methodist Church) in Downtown Bend and is brought to you by Pure Care Dental. Seating is limited, so advance purchase is recommended. Ticket holders may join Robert Thies at 6:45pm for a pre-concert talk about the program. www.highdesertchambermusic.com