Nathalie Houtman

Nathalie Houtman pursued a dual course of study in piano and recorder: she won First Prize in piano at the Conservatoire de Mons and also graduated with highest distinction in recorder from the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in the class of Frédéric de Roos. She spent a year studying in Amsterdam with Walter van Hauwe before moving to The Hague, where she obtained her Master of Music. She has performed with La Pastorella, with whom she recorded Corelli’s concerti grossi, as well as with ensembles including Les Muffati, More Maiorum, Alba Novella, Laterna Magica (recordings of the CDs Exercitium and Haendel’s Opera in Chamber), Sirocco (recording of the CD Pedrini), and Apsara, performing contemporary music repertoire. Her interest in non-European musics of oral tradition has led her to India, where she studied the Bansuri (Indian flute) with master Harsh Wardhan; to Paris with Sozan Shiaki Karya for the Shakuhachi (Japanese flute); and with François Picard for the Xiao (Chinese flute). She is a 2007 laureate of the Belgian Fondation pour la Vocation and of the Bonporti International Competition with the ensemble Sirocco. Together with Laura Pok, she created several children’s shows: Face à Face, C’est toujours la même chose!, and L’Envol des Oiseaux. Her interest in sound, dance, voice, and their therapeutic functions has led her to train in the Peter Hess method, Benezon method, and Tama-do.