EXPERIENCE
DION CUNNINGHAM
Performing Artist, Collaborator, Educator, Interdisciplinary Researcher, Producer, Thinker
With a unique artistic voice and a bold, imaginative exploration of the sonic world, Dion strives to help inspire the transformation of humankind through inventive presentations of traditional and contemporary art forms.
Biography
An educator, researcher, artist, and interdisciplinary practitioner, Dion Cunningham (Doctor of Musical Arts) currently serves as an assistant professor at the University of the Bahamas (Nassau, Bahamas) in a dual appointment between the School of Education (Music Education) and School of Communication (Music Department). His research intersects artistic and scientific disciplines which explores critical analysis of historical instrumental pedagogy and technique; neuromechanics and motor control of piano playing; issues of piano technology, ergonomics and injury; development of instrumental proprioception; and knowledge gaps in aspiring and professional pianists. These research areas extend from his dissertation work entitled “The Science of Artistic Expression: Intersections of Piano Pedagogy and Human Neuromechanics.”
Dion’s curiosities extend beyond the scientific realm into the world of education and entertainment. He is the founder and producer of "Adventures in the Arts" - a non-profit foundation centered around the concept of “edutainment.” Their interactive programing utilizes performing, visual and multimedia art forms to explore concepts in non-arts disciplines as well as stories and issues of culture, industry, society and human existence. In this work, Dion has researched and collaborated with artists from across North America and the Caribbean and institutions including the Dance Theater of Harlem (NYC: NY), the Collage Dance Collective (Memphis, TN) and Design Strong (Nassau, Bahamas). This edutainment outreach work has been presented to over 5000 people throughout the Bahamas and North America.
As a concert pianist, Dion has performed throughout North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. A prizewinner in the American Protege International and American Prize Solo Piano competitions, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016 and is frequently sought after as a recitalist and a collaborator. He will make his solo piano album debut in 2026 entitled “Passion, Peace and Play: Dion plays Robert Schumann” where he explores the early works of Robert Schumann and their intersections with themes of play, passion, serenity and mental health.
Dion has 15 years of experience in K-12 education systems within the Bahamas and the US. His teaching career pursuits have also given him the opportunity to partner with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra OrchKids (Baltimore, MD) and the East Lake Expression Engine (Chattanooga, TN) in their social outreach education programs for the past 10 years. Additionally, he also serves in similar capacities in his local churches, Christ Community Church and St. Christopher's Parish (Nassau, Bahamas).
Dion holds his terminal degree from the University of Maryland, College Park as well as Masters of Music from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. He also holds a Masters of Music Education (Vandercook College of Music), a Diploma in Education (College of the Bahamas) and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Biology and Music (Macalester College).
In his spare time, Dion enjoys outdoor recreational pursuits - particularly those of the aquatic variety. He is also a certified scuba diver, amateur triathlete and a 2-time Ironman 70.3 finisher.
"To engage in the solitude of daily practice is to come face to face with myself - my greatest strengths and deepest flaws. It’s me, my thoughts, my fingers, my imagination and my instrument. Few pursuits offer the opportunity to develop one’s intrapersonal relationship so completely. I am grateful for the opportunity to know myself intimately through this mode of self-exploration and to share these discoveries with audiences."