For six consecutive Wednesdays from July through early August, the bells of Beaumont Tower will ring with performances during the 25th Annual Muelder Summer Carillon Concert Series. New Michigan State University carillonist Jonathan Lehrer has organized the concerts for the first time and will present his inaugural MSU recital to close out the series.

The FREE series welcomes everyone in the community to bring a picnic, chair or blanket to enjoy the talents of the expert carillonists performing on the bells. Free and open to the public, the concerts present excellent opportunities for members of the media to film, photograph, and get reactions from local residents in one of the most beautiful locations on the Michigan State University campus.

The following artists will bring their talents to campus and perform at the tower, near the MSU College of Music.

• Carlo van Ulft (July 6) is Director/Carillonist of the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon in Springfield, Illinois and a native of The Netherlands with master's degrees in organ performance, carillon performance, and theatre organ performance. 
• Helen Hofmeister (July 13) received her carillon instruction at the University of Kansas and has performed carillon recitals in sixteen states, Belgium, The Netherlands, and international festivals.
• Dennis Curry (July 20) serves as Oakland University’s first carillonneur after 33 years as Kirk in the Hills’s carillonneur, and he is a past president of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.
• Keiran Cantilina (July 27) hails from Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, and was a finalist in the Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition held in 2019.
• Eva Albalghiti (August 3) is originally from Wheaton, Maryland, began playing the carillon at Yale University, and now plays weekly recitals at Lurie Tower at the University of Michigan.
• Jon Lehrer (August 10) makes his debut performance as Michigan State University carillonist, the finale of the 2022 Muelder Summer Carillon Concert Series. Lehrer is a laureate of five international competitions for carillon. More information in Mr. Lehrer’s bio.

These artists share their talent in concerts that begin at 6 p.m., rain or shine. Visitors can hear demonstrations, view the bells, and tour Beaumont Tower after each concert.

Beaumont Tower is located on West Circle Drive, in the heart of MSU’s Campus. Built in 1928 following a gift from John W. Beaumont, class of 1882, the John W. Beaumont Memorial Tower sits on the site of College Hall, the first building on the MSU campus and the first building in the United States devoted to teaching scientific agriculture. The tower houses the carillon, a musical instrument that consists of bells arranged chromatically, a keyboard with foot pedals, and an array of cables that connect the keys and pedals to the bells. With only 10 bells when originally constructed, it has grown to 49 bells in the past 90 years, creating an unforgettable sound.

Find more summer events at the MSU College of Music in our event section.
 

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Press materials

View or download the press release (PDF)
Contact Michael Sundermann, 517-353-2043, sunderm7@msu.edu 

Photography and graphic downloads

Event graphic courtesy MSU College of Music

Visitors can hear demonstrations, view the bells, and tour Beaumont Tower after each concert.