Cynthia Marie

"Piano is home, the song is heart, and improvisation is joy for me.”  

A seasoned pianist with a love for improvisation, CYNTHIA MARIE is passionate to create. From jazz & blues to folk, pop, and original works, her eclectic songs dance with ease and emotion.  Her latest album “Harbor" has been featured on WERA.FM, Voices from the DMV, FEMchord, DC Music Rocks, Takoma Radio, Hometown Sounds, and WAMU Bandwidth.  She is an active collaborator to a diverse array of bands and musicians throughout the DMV area, and a highly sought after music educator. 

CYNTHIA MARIE grew up playing classical piano, studying with Bonnie Litten and Ann Tanabe, and went on to win the Honolulu Symphony’s Best & Brightest Concerto competition at age 17.  She began songwriting in high school and continued to write while attending UW School of Music in Seattle.  Here she found her voice in a small piano room, and began singing for the first time in vocal jazz choir.  After an inspiring summer at Berklee, she began playing out her original music, and gigging around town with local musicians.  

She received Jackstraw Artist in Residency support for her debut CD release “Golden Tree Story: Openings”, and Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Smart Ventures Grant to create a community welcome concert for the International Rescue Committee upon releasing her 2nd album, “Beyond EP”.  

Since arriving on the east coast, CYNTHIA MARIE has been featured regularly in The 9 Songwriters’ Series, Columbia lakefront concerts, Takoma Porch & Folk festivals, DC’s 1st Asian-American Songwriter showcase, Washington Women in Jazz Festival, and performed at favorite DMV venues such as: IOTA Club, Jammin’ Java, Atlas Performing Arts, the Athenauem, Ebenezers, and the Black Cat DC.  In addition to Seattle, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, she has also performed her songs in New York, Philadelphia, North Carolina, and Breschia, Italy.

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