About Monica Houghton

Monica HoughtonAmerican composer Monica (Niki) Houghton grew up in Reno, Nevada. She earned A.B. and A.M. degrees from Harvard University, and an M.M. in Composition from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she served on the faculty for nine years before moving back to Nevada in 2011.

Ms. Houghton was honored with an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council in 2007. Among the large ensembles which have commissioned and performed her works are the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Heights Chamber Orchestra, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra and the Reno Philharmonic. Nevada Chamber Opera presented the world premiere of her opera, The Big Bonanza, in April 2016.

Recent performances and commissions of Houghton chamber, choral, solo instrumental and vocal works have been presented by the Tahoe Chamber Music Society, San Francisco Choral Artists, University Chamber Singers, Voices of Silicon Valley, Dmitri Atapine and Hyeyeon Park, the late Philip Manwell, Albert Rudolph Lee, and John Etsell,  among others. Her album ‘Of Time & Place’ was released on the Navona label in 2018.

Houghton works have been performed live at music festivals around the country and the world, including the AKI Festival of New Music, Ernest Bloch Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Virginia Arts Festival, and Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.

Ms. Houghton’s music has been described as “evocative” and “full of feeling.” She has incorporated non-Western instruments and musical practices into several of her compositions. A glance at her catalog reveals a wide range of influences inspiring her works, including nature, poetry, the visual arts, language, science and world events.

For further information about the composer please visit www.monicahoughton.com