ARTIST BIOS
The artists featured on this page have been invited to Music & Meditation Santa Barbara not only for their international profiles as performers, but also for their shared commitment to deep listening and a more meaningful approach to music-making and mindfulness—the core values of our work.
They are distinguished performers, award winners, community musicians, and educators of the highest caliber.
We are proud and grateful that they have embraced our mission and chosen to support Music & Meditation Santa Barbara with their artistic excellence, integrity, and personal engagement.
ANI AZNAVOORIAN, cello
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a “cellist who shows great sensitivity and great virtuosity at all moments,” Ani Aznavoorian is in demand as a soloist and chamber musician with some of the world’s most recognized ensembles. She has appeared with leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Tokyo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, International Sejong Soloists, Indianapolis Philharmonic, San Jose Symphony, Concertante di Chicago, and the Edmonton Symphony, and has also appeared as recitalist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Italy, France, Finland, Yugoslavia, Japan, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, and Canada.
Aznavoorian’s awards include the Bunkamura Orchard Hall Award, first prizes in the Illinois Young Performers Competition (televised live on PBS with the Chicago Symphony), the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Music Scholarship Competition, the Chicago Cello Society National Competition, the Julius Stulberg Competition, the American String Teachers Association Competition, the International Paulo Competition, and the National Foundation for the Arts Recognition and Talent Search.
Ms. Aznavoorian enjoys performing new music and has made the world premieres of two important pieces in the cello repertoire: Ezra Laderman’s Concerto No. 2, with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic conducted by Lawrence Leighton Smith, and Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for violincello and piano on stage at the Hamburg Staatsoper with the Hamburg State Ballet. An avid chamber musician, Ani has performed with Gil Shaham, Cho-Liang Lin, Sarah Chang, Eugenia Zukerman, Edgar Meyer, Ruth Laredo, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the Pacifica Quartet, and the Shanghai Quartet. She is a member of the renowned string ensemble the International Sejong Soloists, and is also a founding member of the Corinthian Trio with pianist Adam Neiman and violinist Stefan Milenkovich. Aznavoorian also performs frequently on the Jupiter Chamber Music series in New York. She proudly performs on a cello made by her father, Peter Aznavoorian.
Ani Aznavoorian received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Aldo Parisot. She is principal cellist of Camerata Pacifica, has been on the faculty at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, and during the summers serves on the faculty of the Great Mountains Music Festival and School in South Korea.
LAURIE RASMUSSEN, harp
Laurie Rasmussen is an award-winning professional harpist based in Santa Barbara, California, with over three decades of experience delighting audiences with her expressive and versatile harp performance. She has been performing since 1986 as a highly sought-after soloist and collaborator in a wide range of musical settings, including orchestral and folk ensembles, choirs, musical theatre, dance productions, and recording projects.
Laurie has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, bringing her artistry to concert stages and festivals. She was a top prize winner at the 2007 Lyon & Healy International Jazz and Pop Harpfest competition, and as an international performer she has appeared as a featured artist at Celtic music festivals in Germany and Italy.
Known for her rich musicality on both pedal and lever harp, Laurie’s collaborations range from classical repertoire to traditional Celtic music and contemporary works. She has performed with internationally acclaimed musicians including violinist Gilles Apap and Celtic harpist Kim Robertson, and has appeared in productions such as the Irish dance show *Spirit of the Dance* as Music Director.
In addition to her performing career, Laurie is a passionate educator, teaching harp students of all ages in her private studio and at institutions such as Santa Barbara City College and the Music Academy of the West. She also serves as harpist for the Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra and is a founding member of the folk ensemble Drewydh.
Laurie’s musical journey began after earning her degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and includes early experience as a luthier for harp construction. Beyond performance and teaching, she is a Certified Music-Thanatologist and has used music therapeutically in hospice care. She is also an avid traveler, marathon runner, and beekeeper.
JILL FELBER, flute
Jill Felber is an internationally acclaimed recording artist, dynamic flute recitalist, innovative chamber musician, legendary contemporary music specialist, and a distinguished flute professor who inspires and motivates students worldwide.
She has been hailed for her “beautifully finished performances” by The Detroit News and praised by Musical America for her “handsome performance.” The British journal PAN writes that “Felber was stunning…not only refined but also full of fun.” The Independent (Santa Barbara) described her as “the incredible flutist…the dazzling flutist…the radiant flutist,” and The Los Angeles Times has noted her concerts as “played with flair.” International acclaim also includes praise from Gazeta Rybnicka (Poland) for her “consummate musicianship.”
Ms. Felber has performed solo recitals, chamber music, and concertos on five continents and held residencies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the United States. A tireless promoter of new music, she has inspired many composers to write solo and chamber works for her and for her flute duo, ZAWA!, premiering over 600 works for the flute. She has released world premiere recordings on Centaur Records, CRI, Neuma Records, BCM+D Records, Albany Records, and ZAWA!MUSIC.
In demand as a guest clinician because of her extraordinary motivational teaching style, Ms. Felber taught for 44 years at the collegiate level. She served as Professor of Flute at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1989 to 2024, where she earned the Distinguished Teaching Award. She frequently presents her seminars EXTREME MAKEOVER: FLUTE EDITION and WHOLE FLUTES®, and tours with pianist Dianne Frazer showcasing their arranged “Fusions” at conventions, flute societies, and universities.
Ms. Felber holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Bowling Green State University. She has also taught on the faculties of Ohio University, Capital University, and Wright State University. Her teachers include Keith Bryan, Judith Bentley, Samuel Baron, and James Galway.
She has served in arts leadership roles including Chair of the Department of Music at UC Santa Barbara, membership on the boards of the Community Arts Music Association and the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, and service on the Board of Directors of the National Flute Association, including as Program Chair for the 1993 national conference.
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Quiet the Mind, Let the Music In
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