Upcoming Events

October 28, 2012, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
"Fanfare!" (World Premiere)
Heights Chamber Orchestra 30th Anniversary Celebration

Projects and Commissions

  Monica will write a new work for the Cleveland Chamber Collective for premiere next season, to honor the 100th anniversary of the 
  birth of composer Benjamin Britten.

Recent Events and Awards

Following the Panorámicos concert on May 11, 2012, at St. Bonaventure U, the Olean Times Herald reported, "Houghton's three Songs Without Words captivated the audience through the intimate sounds of flutist and guitarist."

Their concert the week before with guest artists, Don Better, guitar, and Kip Reed, bass, in Harkness Chapel, at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, featured four Houghton works together with works of Vaughn Williams, Villa Lobos and Pixinguinha. The world premiere of the commissioned work "Stay, Shadow," a setting in Spanish of a sonnet by Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz, for soprano, flute, viola and piano, was performed by Sandra Simon, soprano, Mary Kay Robinson Ferguson, flute, Lynne Ramsey, viola, and Alijca Basinska, piano.  Ms. Ramsey also performed Houghton's solo viola work "Odyssey" to great effect there.  Mr. Better gave his fourth performance of "Blue Shuffle," and together with Ms. Robinson Ferguson also performed the "Three Songs without Words."

"One of the most well-constructed contemporary cycles I have sung," is how Andrew White, baritone, referred to "Five Songs on Poems of James Wright," a work he has performed on three different occasions, most recently at University of Nebraska-Kearney, with Valerie Cisler, piano.

The Cleveland Classical Guitar Society and the Cleveland Composers Guild presented a collaborative concert on February 19, 2012, at West Park United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio. Guitarist Stephen Aron, with soprano Lauren Feola, performed "Talismans," after a text by Linda Goodman. On the same concert guitarist George Bachmann performed "Blue Shuffle" on electric guitar.

Mezzo-soprano Kim Lauritsen, who also plays and teaches violin in Cleveland, Ohio, commissioned "A Song for Living," in honor of her grandmother Eleanor Harris's 100th birthday. The work was presented as a surprise, and reportedly to great acclaim, to the more than 60 family members and friends who gathered for the birthday celebration, on February 19, 2012, in Opelika, Alabama, with Vicki Harris and Kim Lauritsen, violins, and Mary Sue Harris, piano, performing.

The Contemporary Youth Orchestra premiered "ARP 87" on the evening of December 11, 2010, in Waetjen Auditorium at Cleveland State University.  The work is inspired by a Hubble Space Telescope image of a galaxy pair located 300 million light years from earth in the constellation Leo. To view the image click here http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0717a

ARP 87 was commissioned by Music Director Liza Grossman and the CYO. For a review of the concert visit http://www.clevelandclassical.com/121410cyore

Eric Charnofsky, piano, Patricia Crispino, clarinet, Emily Nebel, violin, and Josue Gonzales, 'cello, performed "Here on Earth" in concert at Lorain Community College on December 5, 2010. This was the second performance of the work, and a very fine performance it was.

Ms. Houghton was awarded the Thanatopolis Music Prize in the category Rituel Adieux by the i-Park Foundation. Pianist Halida Dinova performed the winning composition, QUASE UM SONETO, for the Thanatopolis Exhibition, on October 9, 2010, in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Karel Paukert gave a lecture demonstration of "Erebus" at the Festival of Sacred Music, St. Martin Church, Nuremburg, Germany, October 9, 2010.

Patrick Mason, baritone, was eloquent in his premiere of Ms. Houghton's "Five Songs on Poems of James Wright," with pianist Alexandra Nguyen, for the Faculty Tuesdays Recital Series at UC Boulder, in Grusin Hall, on September 21, 2010, Boulder, Colorado.

The choir of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, under the direction of Karel Paukert, performed "Ave Redemptoris Mater" from "Four Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin," on December 6, 2009, for Lessons and Carols, and again on Chistmas Eve 2009.

The Big Bonanza was selected recipient of the first NMNE Mainstage Award from Boston Metro Opera.