Natalie Swenson
President
Biography
Natalie Swenson is a multifaceted musician and arts administrator based in the Chicagoland area. She has shared music with vast audiences
across the United States as well as internationally in Sweden, Norway, Malaysia, and Singapore. Recent engagements on oboe, oboe d’amore, and English horn, include performances with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, World Ballet Company, Quad City Symphony, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Bach Cantata Vespers Orchestra, Ballet Indiana Orchestra, New Philharmonic, and Knox-Galesburg Symphony.
Her passion for new music and composition has allowed her to be a part of many world premieres and professional recordings, as well as opportunities to premiere her own compositions. She received her Masters of Music in Oboe Performance with Departmental Honors at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, and her Bachelors at Gustavus Adolphus College with a major in Music Composition Honors and minor in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies. Her primary oboe instructors include Michael Henoch, Sarah Erickson-Lume, and Christine Phillips.
As an arts administrator, Natalie currently serves as President for the Chicago Wind Collective (CWC), a 501(c)(3) Wind Ensemble geared towards providing professional performance opportunities for musicians early on in their career. She previously served as the Operations Manager for Lutheran Summer Music (LSM), and as Administrative Assistant for the Music Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.
Outside of her performance and administrative schedule, Natalie teaches a private oboe studio, makes reeds, and enjoys spending time with her spouse, Brad, and two rambunctious cats, Dolly and Goose.
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