Natalia Bolshakova was born in Moscow, Russia where she studied at the Dmitry Shostakovich School of music. Following her graduation cum laude from the Ippolitoff-Ivanoff College of Music, she continued her education at the Moscow Conservatory. In 2000 she received her Master's degree at the University of North Texas under the guidance of Professor Joseph Banowetz and is presently a DMA candidate in piano performance in the Banowetz class. In 2000-2001, she was awarded the prestigious Toulouse Graduate School Doctoral Fellowship and has held teaching fellowships since 1998.

Bolshakova has performed in Russia, Europe and the United States. She was a prizewinner in the New Orleans International Piano Competition, the Kingsville Young Artist Competition, Shreveport International Piano Competition, and in the José Iturbi International Piano Competition in Valencia, Spain. She also won the University of North Texas Concerto Competition and appeared as a soloist with the Richardson Symphony under the direction of Maestro Anshel Brusilow at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. In 1997, Natalia Bolshakova was the gold medallist in the Ima Hogg Young Artist International Competition and performed as a featured soloist with the Houston Symphony, directed by Stephen Stein. During the past two concert seasons she has performed as orchestral soloist with symphonies on the West Coast, and in Alaska and Eastern Europe.