Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn", Mechelen

History and Information for Prospective Students

History

The Royal Carillon School was founded in 1922 by renowned carillonneur Jef Denyn, in whose honor it was later named, with the support of Americans Herbert H. Hoover, John D. Rockefeller, and William Gorham Rice.  The first institution of its kind in the world, the school soon gained international acclaim and has trained carillonneurs from nations across the globe, including China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The institution has developed under the successive direction of Jef Denyn (1862-1941), Staf Nees (1901-1965), Piet Van den Broek, and Jo Haazen, its present director.  Throughout its history, it has established an eminent reputation and made a signifcant impact on carillon performance throughout the world.

The Royal Carillon School is housed in the historic building 't Schipke (The Ship), adjoining the Hof van Busleyden, where the school's carillon and museum are found.  Its facilities include four practice keyboards, a carillon offering extensive practice time, pianos, a library of sheet music, and a n important historical archive. The museum and library holdings include an international collection of bells, carillon keyboards, rare books, manuscripts, and art objects.

In 1984, the Royal Carillon School established a branch at the Catholic University of Leuven, and Her Majesty Queen Fabiola conferred her High Protection upon the school. Later that year, the carillon tradition entered Japan. In 1986, the school was elected to membership in the Russian Cultural Committee, and the first Russian students arrived in 1992.  Another branch opened in Halle in 1991, and additional branches now exist in Roeselare (West Flanders), Ronse (East Flanders), and Peer (Limburg).

The Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition was established by the school in 1987. Every five years, carillonneurs from the world over converge in Mechelen to compete in the most prestigious carillon competition in history.  The school also organizes carillon composition contests and publishes works for carillon, campanological literature, and carillon methods.

Prominent visitors to the school include cellist Mstislav Rostropowitch, the Vienna Boys Choir, Hungarian President Arpad Göntzs, Ludmila Poetina, wife of the Russian president, Russian Minister of Defense Sergej Ivanov, Michael I and Princess Anne of Romania, and Her Majesty Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

Malinovi Zvon (bells of Mechelen) is the Russian term for carillon, revealing the central role of the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in the dissemination of Belgian culture and the carillon art worldwide.  Since 1995, the Flemish Government has repeatedly conferred the honor upon the school of being Cultural Ambassador of Flanders.

Information for Prospective Students

The Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" is a state-subsidized eduational institute offering a variety of programs of study.  Diplomas are offered at two levels of Secondary Education, and advanced students may continue their studies to earn a Laureate's Diploma (einddiploma) or the two-year Diploma of Excellence, an honor awarded to only a few students in the school's history with exceptional talent in composition.

The program of study at the Royal Carillon School normally requires six years to complete, particularly for commuter students, but advanced musicians may complete it at an accelerated rate. The curriculum comprises carillon performance, carillon history and campanology, theory, harmony and composition, part-singing, and keyboard instruction.  Laureate's Diploma candidates must present a thesis in campanology of at least thirty pages and a full recital including two original works on the carillon of Sint-Romboutstoren in downtown Mechelen.

Student activities such as carillon trips in Belgium and the Netherlands and to international congresses are organized by the student association Campana, which publishes a newsletter, 't Schipke, in print and online. For more information, contact Campana president An Lommelen.

The school maintains connections with Higher Institutes of Art in Belgium, the Carillon Instituut Nederland and Bourdon Hogeschool voor Muziek in The Netherlands (contact Koen Cosaert and Eddy Mariën for more information), and Missouri State University in the United States, with which it offers a joint Master's Degree in Carillon with tracks in performance and pedagogy (contact professor Jeremy Chesman for more information). The school also maintains an exchange program with the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs in the United States and relations with the State Conservatory of Saratov in Russia.

To gain admission, candidates must present a diploma attesting instruction in music theory and instrumental playing (advisably in piano, organ, or harpsichord) or pass an entrance examination in those subjects. Tuition fees are less than 200 EUR per year.

Foreign students should consult their local Belgian embassy or consulate for visa information and fellowships, such as those offered by the Belgian American Educational Foundation and Fulbright Commission. Although the school offers no student housing, affordable housing is always available in Mechelen.

Contact Information

info@beiaardschool.be

Frederik de Merodestraat 63
B-2800 Mechelen, België
interactive map

Tel.: +32 (0)15 / 20 47 92
Fax: +32 (0)15 / 20 31 76