On Sunday nights, we’re putting the spotlight on the grand piano and the amazing musicians who play it! Front and center on the Festival’s concert stage is the AvantGrand hybrid piano N3X generously provided by Yamaha. Enjoy an evening of live music performed by some of Southern California’s most highly regarded pianists.

Bill Cantos has released six solo CDs; the most recent is Love Wins: New Standards For The New Millennium, a collection of new songs written in the style of classic jazz standards. Among his current projects, Bill can be heard singing the main title song “All Right Day” in the new film Home Run Showdown (co-written by Bill and his wife, Mari Falcone). He records and tours with Herb Alpert and Lani Hall and is also a featured live performer with Burt Bacharach.

The artists with whom Bill has toured and/or recorded include Phil Collins, Alan Bergman, Elton John, Leon Russell, Diane Schuur, Lisa Ono, Kirk Whalum, Bob Dylan, Brian Bromberg, Barry Manilow, Jay Graydon, David Foster, Kevyn Lettau, Deniece Williams, Debby Boone, Freddie Hubbard, Vikki Carr, Steve Amerson, Tony Guerrero, and Rita Coolidge. His songs have been covered by Ramsey Lewis, Lea Salonga, Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, and Cheryl Bentyne. Bill has a deep love for Brazilian music, and has worked extensively with many of Brazil’s best-known artists, including Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, and Gal Costa.

Growing up in San Diego, California, Cantos received a Masters in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied piano with Fred Hersch. He currently resides in Los Angeles working on new projects with Mari, including songwriting with Alan & Marilyn Bergman and Johnny Mandel.