Stephen Newby

Convention Worship Leader

Stephen Michael Newby, composer, conductor, gospel/jazz vocalist and pianist, is a native of Detroit, Michigan. In December 1984 he received his Bachelor of Arts in vocal music education and flute performance from Madonna College in Livonia, Michigan. His Master of Music in jazz composition and arranging was earned in May 1987 from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

There his studies in composition were under the supervision of Robert Sutton, Frederick Tillis, Jeff Holmes and Robert Stern. He returned to Michigan to complete his Doctorate of Musical Arts in composition at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in December 1994. There he studied with William Albright, Michael Daugherty, George Wilson, Fred Lerdahl and Pulitzer Prize winners William Bolcom and Leslie Bassett.

Stephen's compositions have earned him awards such as The National Endowment of the Arts Grant- Continental Harmony 2000 for Newport, Rhode Island; the King County Arts Commission of Washington Grant, 1995-1996; The Distinguished Dissertation of the Year Award at the University of Michigan in 1995 for his Symphony "Let Thy Mercy Be Upon Us," A Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. As well as the Rackham School composition Award for A Significant Change for Orchestra (1993); The Rackham School fellowship for Ethnomusicological Research in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa 1988-1990; The John Wesley Work III National Composer's Competition in 1988 for his work Be Still and Know -- a gospel/jazz oratorio.

Stephen is an ASCAP composer/publisher of many different musical styles and traditions including West African, Western European, Jazz, and Gospel. His works have been performed by; The Cascade Youth Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Savannah Symphony and the New World Theater Orchestra. H. Robert Reynolds and The University of Michigan Bands commissioned him to compose two new works for Band and Choir, which premiered in 2000. He has worked with gospel choirs, vocal jazz ensembles and traditional choral groups for more than 25 years. He served as Assistant Professor of Composition and Computer Arts at the University of Michigan from 1990-94.

Other Professional Musical Activities include:

  • Gospelfest Music for Reconciliation, Inc., Music Director/Co-founder

Ann Arbor, MI

  • The Detroit Symphony Orchestra/UNISYS African American Composers Symposium Program Coordinator and featured composer in chamber music
  • Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra guest conductor
  • Toured and Conducted 100 voice Senegalese choir and drum orchestra, La Chorale Des Martyrs De L'Ouganda, Dakar, Senegal, West Africa
  • Toured Israel with the United Voices of Antioch Choir in November 1998

Newby has completed a recording project entitled "Delight to Do God's Will" released on Maranatha. His New piece for Baritone and voice entitled Gospel Songs for Baritone and String Orchestra? was on Albany Records in 2001. His first CD project entitled Share The News, a contemporary sacred musical montage of genres within the gospel, blues, Latin, and jazz performing practices, is still selling strong on the West Coast.

Stephen serves on the ministry staff at Seattle Pacific University and Pastor of Worship Arts at Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Washington, a recording Artist on Maranatha! Music, Worship Leader for Promise Keepers and Family Life Ministries and Artistic Director of The Antioch Symphony Orchestra.