9th International Vilnius Carillon Music Festival
9th International Vilnius Carillon Music Festival: five musicians from different countries around the world will perform
In July, the unique sounds of carillon bells will once again ring out in the centre of Vilnius. Traditionally, every Wednesday in July, concerts of the 9th International Carillon Music Festival will be held in the courtyard of St. Philip and St. James Church, whose owners and carillon builders are Dominican friars, and in the vicinity of Lukiškių Square. Carillonneurs from the US, South Korea, Belgium, Ukraine, and Poland will perform on five evenings. The festival will take place from July 2 to 30, starting at 7 p.m. All concerts are free of charge.
“Last year, the festival featured male performers, but this year we turned our attention to female performers. Listeners will notice a subtle difference: the music performed by carillonneurs sounds softer, quieter, and often has more notes. The theme of the festival inspired the performers to choose pieces composed or arranged by women,” says festival founder and organizer Jurgis Pauliukas.
The festival will be opened on 2 July by Claire Janezic from the US – a young carillonneur who has already made a name for herself in international competitions. Last year, Claire became a laureate of the Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition (Mechelen, Belgium) and won first place in the International Carillon Interpretation Competition (Brille, Netherlands). She is currently studying in Belgium and actively performing in Europe and the US.
On 9 July, Minjin Oh from South Korea will perform. She is the first professional carillonneur in her country and currently a professor at a music university. Among
other things, Minjin also obtained a master’s degree in theology in 2025 in Daejeon, South Korea. At the Vilnius Festival, she will perform South Korean compositions specially adapted for Lithuanian audiences.
On 16 July, Dina Verheyden from Belgium, an experienced performer, teacher and versatile musician, will play the carillon. She also leads the Akabella ensemble, a handbell group made up of carillon students and graduates.
On July 23, Oleksandra Makarova from Ukraine will visit Vilnius for the first time. She is a pianist, percussionist, and carillonneur who is just beginning her international career but has already won several competitions. She earned her bachelor’s degree in her home country and then continued her studies at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp as a pianist and marimba player. She is currently studying and actively performing, constantly expanding her repertoire and preparing solo programmes.
The festival will conclude on 30 July with Katarzyna Takao-Piastowska from Poland. She is a performer living in Germany who actively performs in Europe and, together with her husband Toru Takao, well known to Lithuanian audiences, promotes carillon culture in Germany, Japan, and Poland.
We would like to remind you that every day, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Vilnius carillon announces the hours with melodies by M. K. Čiurlionis. Until 1 October, short concerts can be heard every day at 1 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. By the way, M. K. Čiurlionis’ music can also be heard at 1 p.m. on weekends.
