Dear Carillonists and Carillon Enthusiasts,

We are delighted to invite you to participate in the World Carillon Congress 2023, in Utrecht. The congress will be held from August 24th until  August 28th, with an exciting post-congress programme from August 29th to 31st.

August in the medieval city of Utrecht is vibrant. Tourists, students & residents enjoy the summer in the city. Terrasses are full of people and the music from the carillon of the famous Dom Tower (Domtoren) makes people smile. It is the perfect place to spend time with your colleagues and friends.

Besides the official WCF meetings, we have planned various carillon concerts, a masterclass “Baroque Music Interpretation for Carillon” and presentations by music and carillon experts, all contributing to the holistic theme of the congress: “Profession: Carillonist – Changing Perspectives”.

You will have an opportunity to listen to Utrecht’s renowned Domtoren (Dom Tower) carillon, the other Hemony instrument on Nicolai Church and the modern carillon in Vleuten. We will also visit the unique Glass Carillon and the new to be unveiled carillon on the Majella Church. City carillonist Jacob van Eyck will play a special role during our conference, with a surprise appearance!

During the three post-congres days, we will experience three very different locations. We will visit Castle De Haar (Haarzuilens), a beautiful castle, where a carillon of 26 bells was installed in 2019; Breda, with special attention to the Maassen family that has been holding a position of city carillonist for exactly a century next year; and Amsterdam, listening to the carillons and sightseeing the beautiful streets and canals.

Currently we are busy with all the preparations to make this a great event. We recommend you to already start booking your hotel reservations. We suggest below hotels, located in the center of Utrecht:

·       NH-Hotels

·       Park Plaza Hotel

·       Hampton by Hilton Hotel

·       Stayokay Utrecht City Center

·       Bunk Hotel (organ inside!)

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Utrecht!

Sincerely,

Gijs Bannink Chair Organizing Committee

Malgosia Fiebig City Carillonist of Utrecht

Christiaan Winter Chair Royal Dutch Carillon Association

Erik Kerpen Chair Utrecht Carillon Society

Xavier Vandamme Director Utrecht Early Music Festival

Explore the congress schedule

view Congress schedule
faq

The most common questions

Can I register for only one day? Is there a day-pass?
Is there an age limit on who can attend?
Are there be any special Covid-19 Measures?
Should I book my own accommodation?
What is the attire at the formal dinners?
Where are the meetings and lectures taking place?
How will I receive my ticket?
When do I get my badge?