B i o g r a p h y
Originally from Lubbock, TX, Dr. Natalie Ham is a freelance musician and administrator in the Greater Seattle area with a passion to promote music education in our communities. She has traveled the United States and Canada as an active soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher. She has performed as principal flute in concert, opera, and ballet productions with ensembles across the states, including Ballet Bellevue (WA), Puget Sound Symphony (WA), and the American Wind Symphony Orchestra (NY).
As a dynamic chamber musician, Dr. Ham has been featured in performances with the wind quintet of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra (NY) and the Bay View Wind Quintet (MI). She has also been featured in concert on the Arts at St. Mark’s 2017-2018 Music Series as part of the “Organ Plus” concert at St. Mark’s Cathedral and the University of Washington’s concert series Intersections: Music, Words, and Pictures, produced by Dr. Robin McCabe. Dr. Ham was also featured in the Wayward Music Series in January 2020 with a performance of George Crumb’s Vox Balanae alongside pianist Dr. Steven Damouni and cellist Dr. Chris Young.
Dr. Ham is the featured flutist of The Harry Partch Ensemble, led by Dr. Charles Corey. Past performances include Mathew Rosenblum’s Yonah’s Dream and Elizabeth Brown’s Delirium, both for flute and the Partch instrumentarium. She also participated in the premiere of Dr. Luke Fitzpatrick's Tulpa, composer for the Partch Instrumentarium.
Dr. Ham is a decade-long member of the new music collaborative Inverted Space in Seattle, WA that features composers from Seattle and abroad. She has premiered works by composers Luke Fitzpatrick, Charles Corey,
Joel Durand, Jeff Bowen, and more. She has been featured on many pieces, including Elliot Carter's Triple Duo, John Zorn's bateau ivre, Stockhausen's Plus Minus, Brian Ferneyhough's Flurries (with the composer in residence), and Arnold Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony Op. 9. Recent performances included Julius Eastman's Stay on It, Kerrith Livengood's Scrawl Etude, and Philip Glass' Music in Fifths.
Dr. Ham has participated as artist and teacher at the Snowater Flute Festival (WA) and was the featured soloist and flute teacher with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra (NY). She has presented workshops on flute technique, musicianship, and physical health for flute students at the Snowater Flute Festival and the 27th Annual Pacific Northwest Music Festival. She was the flute and piano teacher and camp counselor at the Belvoir Terrace Summer Camp (MA). Currently, she serves as the Flute Professor at Whitworth University in Spokane, WA, and Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA. She enjoys working with these college students virtually, with occasional trips over the mountains.
Dr. Ham has served in administrative and event coordinator roles across the Greater Seattle area. She has served in administration positions such as the Housing Chair for the 2022 American Guild of Organists National Convention (2016 – 2020) and the Membership Chair on the Seattle Flute Society Board of Directors (2016-2018). Natalie also assisted in organizing the University of Washington Max Reger Symposium (2016). She was the Executive Director of the symposium Celebrating Dr. Carole Terry, a three-day event in May 2018 honoring the legacy of renowned organist and pedagogue, Dr. Carole Terry. Dr. Ham formerly served St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Medina, WA as their Parish Administrator. She recently joined the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra in Bellevue, WA as their Operations Manager in 2021.
Dr. Ham holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Washington, all in flute performance. Her dissertation focused on her own flute transcription of J. S. Bach’s Ciaconna from the Partita No. 2 in D minor, originally written for solo violin without bass, to be published soon.
Dr. Ham enjoys hiking, baking, and is a proud book worm. She lives in Everett with her fiancé Matt and their furbabies 18 year old cat, Bella and 9 month old puppy, Ember.