Skeleton Key Orchestra was formed by Nathan Hubbard in 2001 as a multi-platform group involving improvisation and notation. At the time of its formation, the orchestra was based around members of San Diegos creative music scene circa 2000 - groups such as Cosmologic, NOD, the Spectrum Saxophone Quartet, Return To One, Quibble and members of the Trummerflora Collective.
Since that time, the group has gone thru several incarnations, as Hubbards compositional interests shift and as members come and go from San Diegos transient scene.
After the first several concert by the group, Hubbard scaled down the ensemble to debut compositions from his ongoing "San Diego Cycle" project. This transformation led to the formation of the splinter group project, smaller ensembles from the orchestra based on instrumentation.

2001 - Nathan Hubbard Skeleton Key Orchestra debut concert on KSDS 88.3FM Jazz Live, premiering raincastle and a murder of crows (Hubbard).

2002 - Members of NH/SKO premiere seven chamber compositions by Hubbard.
NH/SKO presents concerts in San Diego, premiering san dieguito river and sand wind and the vast pacific ocean (Hubbard).

2003 - NH/SKO presents concerts in San Diego and Los Angeles, premiering sleeping against other warnings (limited only by our dreams), next love (all things want to fly), fourth generation, world coming up and thinking ouside the box (Hubbard).
Hubbard begins the Splinter Group project, formation of The Rubberband and Looking West Ensemble.
NH/SKO performs Is That You (Earl)?/Dogs Don't Bark At Ghosts (Hubbard) at Trummerflora's second annual Spring Reverb Festival - San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, Downtown San Diego.
NH/SKO presents three improvisation workshops at The Space, San Diego, spring 2003.
Record Nathan Hubbard Skeleton Key Orchestra summer 2003.
Splinter Groups concert fall 2003. The Rubberband premieres the venom speaks and if i could see you tonight (Hubbard). Looking West Ensemble premieres No Rain/No Water, miss you peter and (Keep Your) Eyes On The Snake (Hubbard).

2004 - Form Skeleton Key Percussion Ensemble, Skeleton Key Woodwind Ensemble.
NH/SKO presents concerts in San Diego.
Skeleton Key Percussion Ensemble premieres rock paper scissors and fo/ur (Hubbard) at Percussive Art Society Day of Percussion San Diego.
Skeleton Key Orchestra premieres six new pieces by Vinny Golia, commissioned by NH/SKO for Trummerflora's third annual Spring Reverb festival - San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, Downtown San Diego.

2005 - NH/SKO presents string improvisation workshop with Mary Oliver.
Looking West Ensemble and The Rubberband record.
NH/SKO record two new pieces by Hubbard - Track 1 (for RC) and Track 2 (for AB) for Trummerflora's compilation CD Rubble 2.
Skeleton Key Percussion Ensemble premieres constant flow (Hubbard) with dancer Rebecca Bryant at Trummerflora's fourth annual Spring Reverb festival - Wonderbread Building, San Diego.
NH/SKO premieres Track 1 (for RC), don't look says the crow (i don't believe you), crows on the roof, other ideas (for Marcos Fernandes), furiously dreaming and skeleton key theme (Hubbard) at the Ensenada Jazz Festival, MX.
Skeleton Key Percussion Ensemble premieres new music for Southern California, a Cine-Mural by Louis Hock - San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla.
Skeleton Key Percussion Ensemble records for the ghosts/while we sleep (Hubbard), a seven piece modular suite for percussion sextet, at St. Cecilias Church, San Diego.

2006 - SKO begins recording tracks for Furiously Dreaming, the follow up to Skeleton Key Orchestra.
Rubble 2, a compilation CD from Trummerflora featuring two NH/SKO tracks, is released.

2007 - Skeleton Key Percussion Ensemble premieres new works at the Spring Reverb Festival, one piece performed on all electronics, the second an acoustic collaboration with dancers based around the Neto pieces at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

2008/2009/2010 - SKO continues work on Furiously Dreaming. Live performances have been put to the side for now due to multiple reason.

Percussionist/Composer/Instrument Builder Nathan Hubbard works in many different fields, but in general his work shows a decided interest in exploring the possibilities of sound and embracing the passing of time. This interest in sound can be seen in everything from his extended sound language as an improvisor to his homemade and found instruments. The different rates of passing time become relevant as both a rhythmic impetus and defining element in his compositions and their changing definitions of form, shape and outcome. Musically his explorations range from solo improvisations through small group collaborations to large scale compositions for his twenty-six member large ensemble, Skeleton Key Orchestra. As a composer his works range from solo pieces to medium scale works for a variety of ensembles, works for tape, electronics and acoustic instruments, large works for orchestras, creative orchestras and traditional big bands as well as pieces involving text, voice and other media. In the last several years Hubbard has been more involved with musical situations incorporating acoustics, enviroments and field recordings. His work as an artist can be seen on several of his CD covers and his work as an engineer and producer can be heard on almost all of his recordings. His current projects include solo performances, collaborations with Noah Phillips and Curtis Glatter (Glatter/Hubbard), ARC Trio, and Cosmologic, as well as leading his own quintet (Nathan Hubbard/Everything After), octet (Nathan Hubbard Octet) and the large ensemble Nathan Hubbard Skeleton Key Orchestra. In addition to all this work, Hubbard has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Roger Aplon, Martin Blume, David Borgo, Castanets, Alex Cline, Anthony Davis, Michael Dessen, Tim DuRoche, Brad Dutz, Harris Eisenstadt, Justin Grinnell, Vinny Golia, Phillip Greenlief, Rick Helzer, Bill Horist, Mike Keneally, Paul Kikuchi, Ted Killian, Steuart Liebig, George Lewis, Doug Lunn, Noah Phillips, Garth Powell, Jason Robinson, Tim Root, Scott Rosenberg, Jim Ryan, Moe! Staiano, GE Stinson, Kris Tiner, Bertram Turetzky, Phillip Wachsmann and Scott Walton. A long time ago Hubbard played one tune on congas w/ Clay Walker. Even longer ago he played shaker with Nestor Torres. They were both not that nice and Hubbard has refused to talk about it since. Hubbard is a member of the Trummerflora Collective.