Marshall Cuffe

Piano Teacher/Academy Director
Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Lawrence University; Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Lawrence University

After beginning piano lessons at age 6, Marshall Cuffe quickly began competing, consistently earning top honors, including 6 performances as soloist with the Oregon Symphony for winning the Wiscarson Concerto competition. Additionally, he served as first chair violist in his high school chamber orchestra, and was pronounced a “Rising Star” by the American Guild of Organists for his organ performances in inter-state competitions and at their national convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul, with recitals aired on Portland’s All Classical 89.9 and NPR. During his junior year of high school, Marshall began teaching piano students.

From 2008 until 2013 he studied at Lawrence Conservatory in Wisconsin under Professor Anthony Padilla, earning his bachelor of music degree in piano performance and bachelor of arts in psychology. While a conservatory student, he continued competing, earning first place in the all-conservatory concerto competition, “Audience Favorite” in the finals of the Seattle International Piano Festival, and other local honors. Marshall taught organ lessons privately and, as part of the piano pedagogy program, taught group and individual piano lessons to elementary students at the Lawrence Academy of Music. Throughout his musical career he has been involved in innumerable stage productions and collaborative ensembles. Marshall became the only pianist to have been selected to accompany three consecutive main-stage opera productions at the Conservatory and was in high demand as a vocal accompanist and coach. This led to his appointment as staff accompanist for the vocal studio of Teresa Seidl after his graduation, a position he held for two years until his recent move back to Oregon.  In addition to his teaching, Marshall regularly performs around Portland and serves as organist at Savage Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Q&A

What is your favorite part of teaching?
My favorite part of teaching is seeing a student connect to music that maybe they couldn’t appreciate before. When students learn to look for fun and beauty in places they hadn’t seen it, they grow into people that find enjoyment and fulfillment almost anywhere.

What is your go-to song on karaoke night?
My go-to song on karaoke night is Michael Buble’s arrangement of “Feelin’ Good”.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Why?
If I could have a superpower, it would definitely be completing “To-Do” lists!

Marshall Cuffe - Piano Teacher at Hoffman Academy