Cynthia Marie

Cynthia Marie is a versatile pianist & songwriter, with a background in classical piano, jazz & blues improvisation, and popular/folk music. With 20 years of teaching experience, she tailors each lesson to her student's interests, creating a well-rounded and exciting repertoire to explore.  She is a Maryland state certified teacher and a recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist Award.  

As a performer, she has graced stages at Columbia Festival of the Arts, This Could Go Boom Music & Culture Fest, Key Women, Pearl Street Warehouse, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, Black Cat, with commissions performed at Washington Women in Jazz Festival, Gamelan Pacifica and recordings aired on radio stations: Voices from the DMV, Takoma WOWD, NPR’s WAMU Bandwidth, WERA.FM Live from Arlington, FemChord, DC Music Rocks, KBCS, and Hollow Earth Radio.  Her collaborative spirit has led to her appearance on 20 artists’ recordings from across the country, a publishing of 50 sheet music arrangements sold internationally, innovative teaching resources, and a popular YouTube channel.

She studied with esteemed classical piano teachers, Bonnie Litten and Ann Tanabe, and master jazz and boogie-woogie pianists, Debbie Poryes and Caroline Dahl. She is a winner of the Honolulu Symphony Best and Brightest Concerto competition, a recipient of the Jackstraw Artist Residency and Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs grant, and holds her degree in Music from the University of Washington School of Music.