Background and Points of Interest 

Here, in random order, are various points of interest...

Van and Cristina frequently appear on Disney Cruise Ships and are regarded as Disney's premier dueling pianos performers.  They were selected to headline on the Disney Magic's inaugural Caribbean cruise.  Van is the show’s producer and a principal talent provider for the cruise line.  As such, he frequently sails to oversee, direct and train the dueling pianos talent. 

Van and Cristina produced and starred in the N.Y.P.D. – New York Piano Duos show, at the New York New York Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.  Their show, widely regarded as the most successful of its kind in the country, attracted some 600,000 casino-going patrons during its three-year run.

1992-94, Van performed as a piano entertainer at the famous Pat O’Brien’s Clubs in New Orleans and Cancun, Mexico.  He was one of only three, male performers among the club's staff of 18 piano players.

Van, a native of Dallas, Texas, studied pre-medicine at Southern Methodist University and, while there, achieved national collegiate ranking as a competitive swimmer.

Van and Cristina have 2 daughters, Alani, born in 2002 and Avalon, born in 2004.

Van and Cristina are one of only three dueling pianos husband-and-wife duos in the US.

Cristina holds university degrees in advertising and graphic design.

Cristina, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, was formerly a South American singing sensation.

Van & Cristina met in Cancun, Mexico in 1993 at the Pat O'Brien's club.  Van was performing in the club's dueling pianos show.  Cristina was visiting Cancun with her family from Venezuela.

Cristina, who only spoke Spanish until 1993, studied English, rock-and-roll piano technique and American pop music, and in 1995 debuted as a dueling pianos entertainer (with Van) at the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City.  At that time, they named their act “The Key-Nuts”. 

In addition to "The-Key-Nuts," Van and Cristina have performed under the names "Blame Liberace" and "N.Y.P.D. - New York Piano Duos".  Presently they prefer to be billed "Van & Cristina - Dueling Pianos".  

In 2001, Cristina was proudly sworn-in as a new U.S. Citizen.

Cristina is one of only about 20 women who work in the dueling pianos idiom.  She is widely regarded as the genre's #1 female performer.

In 2001, Van set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ for the longest uninterrupted piano marathon.  Van played nonstop for 39 hours and performed 976 different songs, bettering the previous record of 24 hours and 650 songs.  The event raised money for music education in the local area schools.

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