Kourtney Newton, DMA

Adjunct Instructor of Music

Academic Area: Cello

Degrees

DMA in Cello Performance, University of North Texas
MM in Cello Performance, University of Northern Colorado
BM in Cello Performance, Stephen F. Austin State University

Profile

Cellist Kourtney Newton is an active performer and pedagogue in the DFW area. As an ardent proponent of contemporary classical music, Newton recently earned a DMA from the University of North Texas, with a related field in contemporary performance. Most recently, she has been a featured soloist at the Southwestern Choral Conductor’s Conference in Denver, CO, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Sounds Modern Recital Series, and Denton’s Molten Plains Recital Series. She has been a featured performer at contemporary music festivals and conferences such as New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, SEAMUS, ICMC, New Music on the Point, and has performed in masterclasses for JACK quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Dal Niente, ICE, Spektral Quartet and cellist Madeleine Shapiro.

Kourtney is also a member of the Amorsima Trio, which redefines traditional expectations through commissioning new works and seeking out collaborations with innovative composers. They were recently awarded a Classical Commissioning Grant from Chamber Music America organization, and recent engagements include performances at Austin's DadaLab MeMerMo recital series, Austin’s “Beerthoven” recital series, and New Music Festival Here Be Monsters. They have served as ensemble-in-residence for New Music on the Bayou in Louisiana, Mise-En Ensemble New Music Festival in Brooklyn, NYC, and University of Louisville, Kentucky New Music Festival. Amorsima trio’s up-coming season includes a residency at the Frost School of Music in Miami, Florida as well as a classical commissioning grant through the City of Austin’s Nexus program.

Newton is also a passionate performer of Opera and Musical theater and has performed on stages both domestically and abroad including the Salzburg Choral Society Festival in Salzburg, Austria as well as the Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. She was also a member of the Utah Musical Theater and Opera Festival Orchestra in Logan, Utah along with the Kansas City Puccini Opera Festival, the Little Theater of the Rockies in Greeley, Colorado and the Lyric Stage Theater in Irving, Texas and most recently, Opera of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Kourtney is also passionate about improvisation and a founding member of the feminist improvisation ensemble BST, which combines multi-instrument musical improvisation with theatrical and comedic elements to challenge gender stereotypes and comment on current events. BST was recently featured at Austin's NMASS Festival, Soundbox4 Festival, and a digital feature in the academic journal Critical Studies in Improvisation Soundbox 4: A Zoom of One’s Own” contemporary improvisation festival, International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI).

In addition to her experimental music background, Newton has had the opportunity to perform with orchestras both domestically and internationally, including notable venues in Graz, Salzburg, Vienna, London, and Bangkok, Thailand. Newton is also involved with the popular music scene, and has performed with artists such as Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Two Cellos, Josh Groban, Il Divo, the Celtic Women, Sarah Brightman, Amy Grant, The Roots, Evanescence, Michael Bolton, and Michael Bublé. 

 

Page last updated 2:57 PM, July 29, 2025