Although Martha Natiuk, 67, has been playing the organ for 50 years, she still exudes enthusiasm about the instrument. Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” is her favorite piece to play. “Everyone thinks it’s spooky Halloween music, but it’s not,” she said.
Growing up a missionary kid in Iran, Lebanon and India, she learned to play the organ. At age 17 she got her first paying organ gig at a church. The job helped put her through college. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in music education, then a master’s degree in organ.
Also an accomplished pianist, she’s taught piano lessons for 40 years and currently has 23 students. Natiuk recently produced a CD, “Hymns from the Heart.” She finds the time to direct Belle Cantori, a women’s chorale ensemble that performs at area churches.
Six years ago, Natiuk and her husband, Robert, moved to Battle Ground to be near their three children and five grandchildren.
