Special Guests and Entertainment
Keynote Address: Jill Sonke
Friday, October 18, 10:30 am
Jill Sonke is director of the Center for the Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida (UF) and Assistant Director of UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine. She serves on the faculty of the UF Center for Arts in Medicine, and is an affiliated faculty member in the School of Theatre & Dance, the Center for African Studies, the STEM Translational Communication Center, the One Health Center, and the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration. Jill is an Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow in the UF Warrington College of Business, and serves on the editorial board for Arts & Health journal and the board of Citizens for Florida Arts. She is also director of the national initiative, Creating Health Communities: Arts + Public Health in America, in partnership with ArtPlace America.
Jill holds an MA in Human Services from the University of Illinois, and is a PhD candidate in Arts in Public Health at Ulster University. With 25 years of experience and leadership in arts in health, Jill is active in research, teaching, and international cultural exchange. Her current research focuses on the arts and health communication, the arts and community health, and the effects of music on cost and quality of care in emergency medicine. Jill is the recipient of a New Forms Florida Fellowship Award, a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship Award, an Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, a UF Internationalizing the Curriculum Award, a UF Most Outstanding Service Learning Faculty Award, a UF Public Health Champions award, a UF Cross-Campus Faculty Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and over 150 grants for her programs and research at the University of Florida.
Friday, October 18, 10:30 am
Jill Sonke is director of the Center for the Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida (UF) and Assistant Director of UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine. She serves on the faculty of the UF Center for Arts in Medicine, and is an affiliated faculty member in the School of Theatre & Dance, the Center for African Studies, the STEM Translational Communication Center, the One Health Center, and the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration. Jill is an Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow in the UF Warrington College of Business, and serves on the editorial board for Arts & Health journal and the board of Citizens for Florida Arts. She is also director of the national initiative, Creating Health Communities: Arts + Public Health in America, in partnership with ArtPlace America.
Jill holds an MA in Human Services from the University of Illinois, and is a PhD candidate in Arts in Public Health at Ulster University. With 25 years of experience and leadership in arts in health, Jill is active in research, teaching, and international cultural exchange. Her current research focuses on the arts and health communication, the arts and community health, and the effects of music on cost and quality of care in emergency medicine. Jill is the recipient of a New Forms Florida Fellowship Award, a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship Award, an Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, a UF Internationalizing the Curriculum Award, a UF Most Outstanding Service Learning Faculty Award, a UF Public Health Champions award, a UF Cross-Campus Faculty Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and over 150 grants for her programs and research at the University of Florida.
Cocktail Hour Preceding Friday Evening FMTA Foundation Gala: Crystal Miles, harpist
Friday, October 18, 5:00 pm
Crystal Clarke Miles is a graduate of the University Florida Department of Music (BA in Theory & Compositions [voice]). She also holds Master of Music Degrees from Westminster Choir College (Church Music) and the University of Hawaii (Voice). She has sung the roles of Phyllis in Iolanthe, Phoebe in Yeoman of the Guard, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and has appeared as an organ recitalist in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Hawaii. In 2012 she found a new musical love in playing and arranging for the lever harp. A former faculty adjunct at Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, Ms. Miles currently maintains a private studio of voice, piano and harp students.
Friday, October 18, 5:00 pm
Crystal Clarke Miles is a graduate of the University Florida Department of Music (BA in Theory & Compositions [voice]). She also holds Master of Music Degrees from Westminster Choir College (Church Music) and the University of Hawaii (Voice). She has sung the roles of Phyllis in Iolanthe, Phoebe in Yeoman of the Guard, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and has appeared as an organ recitalist in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Hawaii. In 2012 she found a new musical love in playing and arranging for the lever harp. A former faculty adjunct at Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, Ms. Miles currently maintains a private studio of voice, piano and harp students.
Concert following the FMTA Foundation Gala: Maxim Lando, pianist
Friday, October 18, 7:30 pm
Printed Program
Still in his teens, this pianist brings a riveting clarity to the keys. Maxim Lando was only 14 when he had his first taste of national attention, sharing the stage at Carnegie Hall with two of his heroes, Lang Lang and Chick Corea.
Since then, Mr. Lando’s talent has been recognized with numerous honors, including First Prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
Friday, October 18, 7:30 pm
Printed Program
Still in his teens, this pianist brings a riveting clarity to the keys. Maxim Lando was only 14 when he had his first taste of national attention, sharing the stage at Carnegie Hall with two of his heroes, Lang Lang and Chick Corea.
Since then, Mr. Lando’s talent has been recognized with numerous honors, including First Prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
Music Preceding Saturday Evening Banquet: Linda Weltner, violin, and Kama Rasmussen-Li, piano
Saturday, October 19, 5:30 pm
Printed Program
Solo violin or with accompaniment, Linda Weltner brings quality repertoire to special events throughout north central Florida. Versatile programming ranges from Classical and Romantic pieces to music from Vienna as well as Parisian and Chicago-style jazz.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Ms. Weltner is a third generation musician; granddaughter of musicians from Chicago’s American Conservatory of Music, daughter of Boston University pianist and organist. She began piano study at age 5, and after two years of violin study was selected to perform a concerto with orchestra. Appointed concertmaster of a ninety-piece orchestra, she was also awarded superior ratings in Wisconsin District and State solo performance competitions.
A University of Florida College of Fine Arts alumna and recipient of numerous performance scholarships and accolades, Ms. Weltner holds a Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Music Education. She completed performance requirements for the Master of Music in Violin Performance, highlighted by a Master Class with Ida Kavafian of the Beau Arts Trio.
Enthusiastically recommended to the Jacksonville Symphony as a Masterworks violinist, she enjoyed orchestral performing with world class solo artists such as Sarah Chang, Elmar Oliveira, Christopher Parkening, and conductor Eiji Oue. Freelance performances include solo events for Governor Lawton Chiles, Senator Bob Graham, and orchestra appearances with Glen Frey of the Eagles and Ray Charles.
Kama Rasmussen-Li has performed in numerous competitions, festivals, and masterclasses. Her performances at international festivals in Russia, Prague, China, Washington D.C., and the University of Florida have allowed studies with world-renowned teachers such as Joseph Banowitz, Ian Hobson, Robert Roux, Boris Berman, Douglas Humphreys, Zhang Jin, Paul Schenly, Maria Gambarian, Volker Banfield, Nelson Delle-Vigne, Logan Skelton, Alexander Tutunov, Yong-Hi Moon, Nikita Fitenko, Ivo Kaltchev, Daniel Shapiro, and David Dubal.
In 2000, she was the state winner of the Iowa Music Teachers Association Auditions and appeared on Iowa Public Television. She completed her B.M. in Piano Performance at Simpson College, Iowa, with Dr. Ron Albrecht, graduating summa cum laude and receiving top awards in performance, accompanying, and music history. While completing her M.M. in Piano Performance at the University of Florida with Prof. Boaz Sharon and graduating summa cum laude, Kama was a Graduate Assistant in Piano. She enjoyed working with numerous composers at the University of Florida. She was the featured guest artist at a Society of Composers, Inc. exchange concert in Atlanta, Georgia. Her recordings of Dr. Chan Ji Kim’s Memoria No. 2 and Some Beautiful Things in Life and Dr. Chet Udell’s Hands Resist Him were included on the University of Florida chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc. CDs, and Dr. Matthew McCabe’s Gradient was written for and dedicated to her. As the Associate Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville for nine years, Ms. Rasmussen-Li could be seen in televised services and has worked with noted conductors such as René Clausen and Jonathan Willcocks. She is the President of GMTA and chairs the GMTA Performer’s Group. She and her husband Galaxy are celebrating their daughter Kaya’s first birthday this October. Currently, Ms. Rasmussen-Li is also an active private teacher, adjudicator, and recitalist.
Saturday, October 19, 5:30 pm
Printed Program
Solo violin or with accompaniment, Linda Weltner brings quality repertoire to special events throughout north central Florida. Versatile programming ranges from Classical and Romantic pieces to music from Vienna as well as Parisian and Chicago-style jazz.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Ms. Weltner is a third generation musician; granddaughter of musicians from Chicago’s American Conservatory of Music, daughter of Boston University pianist and organist. She began piano study at age 5, and after two years of violin study was selected to perform a concerto with orchestra. Appointed concertmaster of a ninety-piece orchestra, she was also awarded superior ratings in Wisconsin District and State solo performance competitions.
A University of Florida College of Fine Arts alumna and recipient of numerous performance scholarships and accolades, Ms. Weltner holds a Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Music Education. She completed performance requirements for the Master of Music in Violin Performance, highlighted by a Master Class with Ida Kavafian of the Beau Arts Trio.
Enthusiastically recommended to the Jacksonville Symphony as a Masterworks violinist, she enjoyed orchestral performing with world class solo artists such as Sarah Chang, Elmar Oliveira, Christopher Parkening, and conductor Eiji Oue. Freelance performances include solo events for Governor Lawton Chiles, Senator Bob Graham, and orchestra appearances with Glen Frey of the Eagles and Ray Charles.
Kama Rasmussen-Li has performed in numerous competitions, festivals, and masterclasses. Her performances at international festivals in Russia, Prague, China, Washington D.C., and the University of Florida have allowed studies with world-renowned teachers such as Joseph Banowitz, Ian Hobson, Robert Roux, Boris Berman, Douglas Humphreys, Zhang Jin, Paul Schenly, Maria Gambarian, Volker Banfield, Nelson Delle-Vigne, Logan Skelton, Alexander Tutunov, Yong-Hi Moon, Nikita Fitenko, Ivo Kaltchev, Daniel Shapiro, and David Dubal.
In 2000, she was the state winner of the Iowa Music Teachers Association Auditions and appeared on Iowa Public Television. She completed her B.M. in Piano Performance at Simpson College, Iowa, with Dr. Ron Albrecht, graduating summa cum laude and receiving top awards in performance, accompanying, and music history. While completing her M.M. in Piano Performance at the University of Florida with Prof. Boaz Sharon and graduating summa cum laude, Kama was a Graduate Assistant in Piano. She enjoyed working with numerous composers at the University of Florida. She was the featured guest artist at a Society of Composers, Inc. exchange concert in Atlanta, Georgia. Her recordings of Dr. Chan Ji Kim’s Memoria No. 2 and Some Beautiful Things in Life and Dr. Chet Udell’s Hands Resist Him were included on the University of Florida chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc. CDs, and Dr. Matthew McCabe’s Gradient was written for and dedicated to her. As the Associate Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville for nine years, Ms. Rasmussen-Li could be seen in televised services and has worked with noted conductors such as René Clausen and Jonathan Willcocks. She is the President of GMTA and chairs the GMTA Performer’s Group. She and her husband Galaxy are celebrating their daughter Kaya’s first birthday this October. Currently, Ms. Rasmussen-Li is also an active private teacher, adjudicator, and recitalist.