Vilnius Carillon Festival 2026

The International Vilnius Carillon Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The jubilee edition features five free concerts performed by some of the world’s finest carillonneurs from Japan, the United States, South Korea, Belgium, and Ukraine.

The festival takes place on the Vilnius Carillon, installed in the bell tower of the Church of Sts. Philip and James in Vilnius. With 61 bells, it is the largest concert carillon in Central Europe. The music of the carillon transcends the boundaries of a traditional concert hall – it resonates in the church courtyard, across Lukiškės Square, and throughout the surrounding streets and neighborhoods.

• July 1, 7:00 PM

Toru Takao (Japan)
Echoes Across Time

In the festival opening concert, Toru Takao invites listeners on a musical journey through eras and cultures. The program brings together works by Mozart and Schumann, rhythms from Brazil, contemporary compositions from Japan, and love songs from different corners of the world.

• July 8, 7:00 PM

Joseph Min (USA)
Dance in the Wind

Joseph Min, winner of the 2024 Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition, presents a contemporary and emotionally rich program. The concert features film music, modern carillon works, and beloved melodies including Colors of the Wind, Dos Oruguitas, and Starry, Starry Night.

• July 15, 7:00 PM

Minjin Oh & Kiru Shin (South Korea)
Opera Above Lithuania

For the first time at this year’s festival, the carillon will be performed four-hands. The program features some of the most celebrated opera melodies, including excerpts from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Verdi’s La Traviata, Aida and Nabucco, Wagner’s Tannhäuser, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and the Lithuanian opera Pilėnai by Vytautas Klova.

• July 22, 7:00 PM

Jasper Depraetere (Belgium)
Classics on Bells

Belgian carillonneur Jasper Depraetere, one of the leading musicians of the younger generation and a laureate of the Queen Fabiola Competition, presents a program ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to contemporary carillon music and popular hits. The concert includes Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For?, and the legendary Bohemian Rhapsody.

• July 29, 7:00 PM

Oleksandra Makarova (Ukraine)
The Carillon Across Time

In the closing concert of the jubilee festival, Ukrainian carillonneur Oleksandra Makarova takes listeners on a musical journey from the Baroque era to film music. The program features works by Handel, Mozart, and Dvořák, alongside music from Pirates of the Caribbean, The Godfather, The Matrix, and Schindler’s List.

After each concert, audiences are invited to meet the artists during a Q&A session.

Admission to all concerts is free.

The concerts are best enjoyed in the courtyard of the Church of Sts. Philip and James or in Lukiškės Square. In case of bad weather, the concerts will be amplified inside the church.

Additional Concert in Kaunas carillon

On July 14 at 7:00 PM, South Korean artists Minjin Oh and Kiru Shin will give a free concert in Kaunas, performing the same program, Opera Above Lithuania.