The inaugural season of Las Vegas and Music Festival took place over June 11-13, 2015 and presented an array of world-class artists.

Artistic Director: Alexandria Le
Sommelier-in-Residence: Jaime Smith

Violin			Philip Setzer, Jennifer Caine, Clara Lyon, Christina McGann, Samantha Ciarlo⍭
Viola			Chieh-Fan (Jay) Yiu, David Chavez⍭
Cello			Arnold Choi, Sally Singer Tuttle
Double Bass		Paul J. Firak

Flute  			        Carol Wincenc							
Oboe/English horn	Pedro Díaz
Clarinet			        Alan R. Kay*
Bassoon		                Frank Morelli
Horn			       Javier Gándara
Trumpet		               Thomas Bergeron

Piano			Christina Dahl, Oksana Ezhokina, Alexandria Le
Percussion		Charles Gott, Ian Sullivan
Harp			Michelle Gott
Voice			Wonjung Kim

⍭Mentorship Fellows

Pianos: Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer 214

William Cunningham is a pianist and composer based in Banff, Canada and originally from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.  He is known for his profoundly touching compositional works and masterful improvisational abilities.  Performing frequently throughout Canada, Asia and the USA, he began playing piano and composing at the age of seven and is primarily self-taught. His most popular works are: “Enchanted”, “Magic Hands”, “Orchid”, and the “Poem” series.  His first album was released in 2001 “William”, followed by “Temperance”, “Conception” and “Enchanted”.    

William’s music style is not easy to classify and is often related to classical music, film scores and TV dramas.  Although he enjoys playing classical and jazz, his own compositions do not reflect such forms and have sometimes been classified vaguely as "popular".

At the age of eight, William began performing 30-minute sets at local concert venues in Western Canada and by the age 16, embarked in his first recording at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Canada.  At the age 18, he was invited by the renowned entrepreneur Jim Pattison for a solo concert-performance at his year-end company meeting in Vancouver, Canada.  During the same year, Cunningham went on tour in Cuba, presenting solo concerts in four cities over eight days.  

William was the opening performance for pop artists Peter Frampton and Michael MacDonald in collaboration with academy award winner Marjoe Gortner. From 2005 to 2010, William composed and performed his pieces at the Fairmont Banff Springs Celebrity Sports Invitational Fundraiser for notable celebrities, politicians and business people––some of which include Robin Williams, John, F Kennedy Jr, Buzz Aldrin (the first man on the moon), Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Michael Douglas.

In 2005, William appeared on the Australian daytime TV show: “Mornings with Kerry Ann Kennerly”, and the Canadian reality TV show: “I Do…Let’s Eat”.  William has played for the business events of Julie Shaw with Shaw Communication and Corus Entertainment, Nancy Southern and the late Ronald Southern of ATCO Group, and the Right Honorable Donald Mazankowski, and on two occasions for the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right honorable Justin Trudeau. He performs regularly solo concerts at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.  Notable attendees of these performances have included the assistant to HRH Queen Elizabeth II, the Secret Service, the Canadian and German defense ministers, the Right Honorable David Johnston (previous Governor General of Canada), and most recently the CEO and Chairman of IBM Corp.  

In 2008, Smithsonian artist Mimi Stuart created an ‘Energy of Subject’ portrait of ”Sir William” at the piano, which was auctioned for charity along with the portraits of musician Michael MacDonald and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. In 2010, William played the role of a Gestapo secret police officer in a World War II National Geographic documentary that airs regularly on the history channel worldwide; he has also played the role of Sir. John A. MacDonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, in a live theatrical presentation.  

From early childhood, Cunningham has been an avid pipe organ enthusiast with “masterful improvisational abilities”, and frequently travels overseas to hear and play some of world’s greatest pipe organs––including the Harrison & Harrison organ at Westminster Abbey in London, UK; and the famous Cavaillé-Coll organ at Saint-Sulpice Cathedral in Paris, France. 

William has completed numerous recordings at both the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Canada and the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, in Banff, Alberta, Canada.  His music offers listeners an audible narrative that excites the creative spirit and evokes inspiration––bringing people into the present moment––making music a metaphor for life!

wcunning is following