Carillon Concerts

June 14 at 6:00 pm

Janet Tebbel
First United Methodist Church of Germantown, PA

Janet Tebbel is the carillonneur of two carillons in the historic Germantown section of Philadelphia. She has served as carillonneur of the First United Methodist Church of Germantown, playing the 50-bell Taylor carillon since 1979; and has also been the carillonneur of the Miraculous Medal Shrine, with a 47-bell Paccard/Bigelow carillon, since 2002. Gebbel began her carillon studies at the University of Michigan and continued to play at the University of Rochester, New York, while in graduate school. With a grant from the Belgian-American Educational Foundation, she spent a year at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium, studying with Piet van den Broek, and earned a final diploma (with distinction) from the school. She has played carillon recitals throughout North America and Europe, and became a carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 1974. She has served the Guild on the Board of Directors as Corresponding Secretary and on the Membership Enhancement Committee. She has been featured in videos by Piffaro (Renaissance wind band) and Philomusica (Philadelphia area chorus).

Upon leaving a career in elementary music education, Janet has expanded her carillon performance into both solo and duet programs. She is active in handbell choir conducting, church organ work, volunteer work at her home church and enjoying time with the grandchildren.

June 28 at 6:00 pm

Doug Gefvert
Washington Memorial National Carillon, PA

Doug Gefvert, Carillonneur of the Washington Memorial National Carillon, began his musical career at an early age by singing in his hometown church choir and taking organ lessons from local church organists. He continued his study of organ and church music, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in organ from Westminster College and a masters degree in music history from Temple University. While at Westminster College, Gefvert was introduced to the carillon, studying first with Robert Perkins at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and later studied with Frank Péchin Law at Washington Memorial National Carillon. He is a Carillonneur Member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

Before assuming the position of Chapel Carillonneur of Washington Memorial National Carillon in 1999, Gefvart had been Bellmaster at historic Old Christ Church in Philadelphia for 21 years. He has written and arranged numerous pieces for carillon and has recorded several carillon CDs. Gefvert works for the Verdin Bell Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, selling tower clocks, bells, and bell preservation services in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.

July 5 at 6:00 pm

Jon Lehrer
Michigan State University, MI

Jon Lehrer is the fifth University Carillonist of Michigan State University. He graduated from Yale in 2005 with a degree in math and pursued his advanced carillon study at the Belgian Royal Carillon School under Eddy Marien, Geert D'Hollander, and Koen Cosaert, graduating with great distinction in 2008. Lehrer is a laureate of five international competitions for carillon: The Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition (also receiving the SABAM prize for best performance of Flemish music), three International Carillon competitions of the Dutch Carillon Guild, and the Alexius Julien International Baroque Competition. Lehrer is one of the fortunate few to perform Frank Della Penna’s theatrical carillon show “Cast in Bronze” at Renaissance festivals across the US. In 2018 he was chosen by the Canada Council for the Arts to represent the nation on a European concert tour. Prior to MSU, Jon lived in Vancouver and moonlit as a cancer researcher and data scientist. Creating moments of beauty for a busy campus community and working with students has surprisingly turned out to be far more fulfilling. Two years in, he is still waiting for Michigan’s winters to live up to their notorious reputation so he can get back to his cross-country skiing.

July 19 at 6:00 pm

David Hunsberger
UC Berkeley, CA

David R. Hunsberger, a native of New Jersey, holds the Bachelor of Music cum laude from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, OH; the Master of Music and Ph.D. in music from Washington University in St Louis, MO; the Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley; and the Associate certificate from the American Guild of Organists, which he attained at age 20. He has taught music at the Thailand Theological Seminary in Chiang Mai; at Webster College in Webster Groves, MO; and at Washington University. He currently is organist/director at Zion Lutheran Church in Piedmont, CA. He studied carillon with James R. Lawson at the Riverside Church in New York City, and with Raymond Keldermans in Springfield, IL. Since 1983 he has been an assistant carillonneur at the Berkeley campus. He has given carillon recitals widely in the US, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. For 30 years he was the legal counsel to The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, and for 25 years its treasurer.

August 9 at 6:00 pm

Andrea McCrady
Peace Tower, Ottawa, Canada

Dr. Andrea McCrady was appointed Dominion Carillonneur of the Peace Tower Carillon in 2008. She began playing the carillon in 1971 at Trinity College, Hartford, CT (B.A., 1975). While in Europe on a post-graduate fellowship, she studied at the carillon schools in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. During medical school at McGill University, Montreal, she was carillonneur at St. Joseph’s Oratory, followed by her hospital residency in Toronto, where she played at the University of Toronto and the Canadian National Exhibition. From 1990–2008, she coordinated the carillon program at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, WA, where she also practiced family medicine. In 2008, she retired from medicine upon receiving a Bachelor of Music magna cum laude from the University of Denver. She joined the faculty of Carleton University in Ottawa in 2012 as instructor in the first carillon studies program in Canada. Dr. McCrady served for many years on the board of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA), and as its President from 1988–89. She has co-chaired the GCNA Ronald Barnes Memorial Grant Fund and the Heritage Music Committee. She served as secretary of the World Carillon Federation (WCF), 1990–96, and has given presentations or recitals for the 1996, 2002, 2014, 2021 and 2023 WCF congresses.

August 30 at 6:00 pm

Chi lan “Jess” Ip
University of Chicago, IL

September 6 at 6:00 pm

Lisa Lonie
Princeton University, NJ

Lisa Lonie is University Carillonneur of Princeton University (New Jersey), and carillonneur at two area churches: St. Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh (Pennsylvania), and at The Church of the Holy Trinity (Philadelphia), which houses the oldest carillon (1882) in North America. She’s also a regional carillon instructor for the North American Carillon School, an affiliate of The Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” of Mechelen, Belgium. Known for her musical wit and creative programming, Lonie has performed in internationally acclaimed carillon festivals and congresses. Lonie is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with dual degrees in German and economics. Besides her musical interests, she is the Executive Assistant to the President of Salus University.

September 27 at 6:00 pm

John Widmann
City of Frederick, MD

John Widmann is the City Carillonneur for the City of Frederick, MD, where he plays recitals every Sunday at 12:30 pm, year-round, on the Joseph Dill Baker Carillon in Baker Park. He has now held that position for 32 years. Widmann graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and completed his Master of Music degree from Towson University in 2011. In 2021-2022, Widmann received his diploma, “met Onderscheding” (cum laude) at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in Mechelen, Belgium. In addition to his Sunday recitals, he retired three years ago from Frederick County Public Schools where he was a general/vocal music teacher. He is also the Organist and Choirmaster at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, MD. Widmann became a Carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 1996, and is a past member of the National Board of that organization. He maintains an active concert schedule, and has played frequently in the US, along with recitals in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, England, Canada, and the Netherlands Antilles. He lives in Frederick with his wife and sometimes their two grown children.