Monica (Niki) Houghton was born in Bennington, Vermont, and grew up in Reno, Nevada. She received A.B. and A.M. degrees from Harvard University and more recently, an M.M. in Composition from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Margaret Brouwer. Ms. Houghton began composing in 1993, studying first with Mary Ann Griebling and then with Dennis Eberhard. She has been the recipient of awards from ASCAP, the American Music Center, the Ohio Arts Council (an Individual Excellence Award in 2007), the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs, ASCAP/SCI and the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 2007 she was named Composer of the Year by the Ohio Music Teachers Association. Her works for large ensemble have been performed by Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, University Circle Wind Ensemble, Contemporary Youth Orchestra and CIM Orchestra. Her solo and chamber works have been heard on concerts of the Cleveland Composers Guild, Tuesday Musical Association, Rocky River Chamber Music Series, International Alliance for Women in Music, Ernest Bloch Music Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, AKI Festival of New Music and Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, and performed by individual artists and ensembles in varioous parts of the US and around the world. Her music has been broadcast on WCLV’s Not the Dead White Male Composers Hour. Her solo organ piece Erebus has been recorded by Karel Paukert for the AZICA label and is commercially available.

Ms. Houghton often derives inspiration from the natural world for her compositions. Her work has been described by listeners as "evocative" and "full of feeling." She enjoys experimenting with timbres including non-Western instruments. Improvisational elements also appear in many of her works.

in addition to her concert music, Ms. Houghton has developed an opera in two acts entitledThe Big Bonanza, scenes from which were presented at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the Virginia Arts Festival John Duffy Composer Institute. She traveled to China in 2004 to gather material and insight into Chinese folk music and operatic traditions for use in the seventh scene of the opera.

Ms. Houghton currently serves on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music and as Instructor of Composition for the Joint Music Program with Case Western Reserve University.