Marybeth Kurnat (b. 1987) is a rising voice in modern choral music. Her debut work, Epitaph For A Romantic Woman, premiered with the St. Charles Singers in October 2021. Her composition I, Lover won True Concord's 2021-22 Stephen Paulus Emerging Composers' Competition.  She debuted The Lagoons as a 2023 Composition Fellow for the PREMIERE|Project Festival in Southern California, and she will be featured in New Music Chicago's 2025 Ear Taxi Festival.

In a remarkable trajectory, sixteen of Kurnat's new choral works received world premieres throughout 2023 and 2024 across six states. Her commissions include works for soprano Elizabeth Shuman, Chicago Choral Artists, Baker Memorial Church of St. Charles, The Giving Voices Collective, Northern Illinois University, the Spectra Choir, Constellation Men's Ensemble, DeKalb High School, Vox Venti, Choir of the Ascension, and New Music Chicago.

Described as "transcendent" and "otherworldly." Kurnat’s compositional voice, deeply influenced by her background as a jazz saxophonist, is distinguished by its colorful, adventurous harmonic vocabulary and fluid command of rhythm, and her piano writing has garnered particular acclaim. Drawing inspiration from Brad Mehldau, Wayne Shorter, Jacob Collier, Rollo Dilworth, and Ivo Antognini, her arranging portfolio spans jazz ensemble, concert band, chamber music, string orchestra, and commercial a cappella.

Kurnat earned her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Northern Illinois University in 2011 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Composition at Washington State University. She serves as a music educator for the DeKalb School District and as a District 8 Representative for the Illinois Music Education Association. She was a Student Composition Track clinician at the 2024 and 2025 ILMEA All-State Festivals, and has presented professional development on integrating composition into secondary music education.

Beyond teaching and composing, Kurnat is an accomplished poet and maintains an active performance schedule as a choral singer and soprano soloist in the greater Chicago area. She performs regularly with the St. Charles Singers, Chicago Choral Artists, and the Grant Park Music Festival Chorus. She holds memberships in ACDA, AGMA, and ILMEA.

An ASCAP-registered composer and publisher, Kurnat's music is available through direct purchase, MusicSpoke, and Graphite Publishing's Compose Like A Girl Series.