KOEN VAN ASSCHE   

Carillonist - Carillon Teacher

PROJECTS

Carillon keyboard (2003) of the carillon of Turnhout, based on the historic keyboard of 1777 of the carillon of Nijkerk.

A bell of the carillon of Turnhout, made by Andreas Jozef Vanden Gheyn

Ornamentation on the bells of the carillon of Turnhout

Ornamentation on the crown of one of the bells of the carillon of Turnhout

Historic keyboard (1775) of the carillon of Schoonhoven

One of the bells of the carillon of Matthias Vanden Gheyn
(Saint-Barthélemy, Liège)

From the manuscript of
Matthias Vanden Gheyn

Bells of the carillon of Matthias Vanden Gheyn
(Saint-Barthélemy, Liège)

Music from the carillon of Saint-Barthélemy, Liège (B).

In the 18th century, the Abbey of the Cistercians of Val Saint Lambert decides that there should be a carillon of 40 bells. It is ordered from Matthias Vanden Gheyn, and the contract is signed as: “Matthias Vanden Gheyn, organiste et carillonneur dans la ville de Louvain” (see image on the right).

The carillon dates from 1774, 15 years before the French Revolution. Like so many monasteries and abbeys, Val Saint Lambert is targeted by revolutionaries. The church is being destroyed and the other buildings are sold publicly. The bells are also sold, and their journey ends in Liège in 1804 as they were installed in the church Saint-Barthélemy.

Ornamentation on a bell from the carillon of Saint-Barthélemy, Liège

Matthias used the same ornamentation-mold as his brother Andreas Jozef, but the result is less embellished.

One of the many bells with extra ornamentations

Koen Van Assche (°1967) is carillonist of the Belgian cities of Antwerp, Lier, Turnhout and Herentals. His musical education began in the children's choir of the Royal Flemish Opera in Antwerp, as well as with flute lessons. At the age of 14 he started his carillon studies at the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen, where he graduated in 1986. He later obtained the Master's degree in Carillon at the LUCA School of Arts (Lemmens, Leuven). He has won performance prizes at several international carillon competitions, and has given recitals and masterclasses extensively in Europe, North America, and Australia. He is a noted pedagogue, and is the author of a playing method for the carillon. He teaches carillon at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” of Mechelen and at the Academy of Music in Lier.

Koen is known for his performances of Romantic music, encompassing both original Mechelen Romantic carillon compositions and arrangements of classical Romantic pieces. He is also known for his performances of carillon in ensemble with other instruments, especially with the "Bronzen Piano" (www.bronzenpiano.com), a mobile carillon created by Anna Maria Reverté and himself. Performances with this instrument include a concert with orchestra inside the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 2017 for an audience of more than a thousand listeners. He has played concerts with several orchestras, but also with such diverse instrumentations as piano, harpsichord, organ, synthesizer, brass, bassoon, classical accordion, acoustic and rhythmic percussion, choir, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, bagpipes, harp, harp quartet, flute, traverso, cello.

As a promoter of the carillon in local culture, he received cultural prizes and recognitions from the cities of Lier, Turnhout and Herentals. He has recorded 8 CD’s for carillon including “The Four Seasons” of Antonio Vivaldi; the music of Matthias Vanden Gheyn; and the double-CD "Grand Carillons", with piano music of Chopin. He also recorded the CD "Lier in Bronze", with carillon in combination with piano, mezzo-soprano, classical accordion, harp and flute. Koen Van Assche is the current president of the World Carillon Federation.