Kourtney Newton
amorsima.com @kgracenewton
Cellist Kourtney Newton is a versatile musician and ardent proponent of contemporary and experimental classical music. Recently, she earned a DMA from the University of North Texas, with a related field in contemporary music performance. Newton has been a featured performer at music festivals and conferences, and recent performances include New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Austin New Media Art and Sound Summit, SEAMUS, ICMC and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Sounds Modern Recital Series. Kourtney has also performed in masterclasses for JACK quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Dal Niente, ICE, Spektral Quartet and cellist Madeleine Shapiro.
Since 2015 Kourtney has been a member of the Amorsima string trio who were recently featured as ensemble in residence for the composition department at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky as well as the Ensemble Mise-En in New York City. Amorsima string trio is also the recipient of a commissioning grant from Chamber Music America, provided for the commissioning and performance of new works by American composers.
Newton is a passionate improviser 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. Notable performances include the New Music Gathering, Soundbox4 Festival, Austin’s Me Mer Mo Recital Series and a digital feature in the academic journal Critical Studies in Improvisation. She was also a founding member of “By the Numbers” Sound Painting Improvisation Ensemble based in Greeley, Colorado and frequently featured on the Aquilla New Music Summer Recital Series.
In addition to her experimental music background, Newton has had the opportunity to perform with many orchestras and ensembles both domestically and internationally. She has performed at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, as well as others in Arkansas, Colorado, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming. Newton has also performed with orchestras in Graz, Salzburg, Vienna, London, as well as a performance and masterclass series in collaboration with Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand with KAZM string quartet.