29.07 – Saturday – 12:05 pm

/ the tower of the Main Town Hall /

American Weekend – American Compositions and Arrangements

John Gouwens (USA)

Program:

John Courter (1941–2010)
Rilke Fantasie (1996)

Daniel Robins (1937-1970)
Sonate (“Hommage à Matthias van den Gheÿn”, 1960):

-Allegro moderato
-Adagio
-Allegro

Ronald Barnes (1927-1997)
Introduction and Sicilienne (1982)

Giacomo Puccini (1838-1924)
Mi chiamano Mimì z opery La bohème (opr. J. Gouwens)

John Gouwens (*1957)
Passacaglia op. 18 (2004)

John Gouwens
Toccata i Fuga op. 32 (2016)

JOHN GOUWENS  

is Carillonneur of The Presbyterian Church, La Porte, Indiana. He is also Organist and Choir Director at both The Presbyterian Church and at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in La Porte. He served as Organist and Carillonneur of the Culver Academies from 1980 to 2019, serving also as choir director for several of those years. A former carillon student of Albert Gerken, he studied carillon at Indiana University, The University of Michigan, and The University of Kansas, and holds music degrees from the latter two schools. He has played recitals on many important carillons throughout the United States and Canada, including many performances at congresses of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) and the World Carillon Federation. This is his eighth recital tour in Europe.

Over the years, he has been a prizewinner in competitions for organ playing, improvisation, composition, and carillon playing. He is a prolific composer of music for carillon, and also is involved in encouraging composers to write for the instrument. He is active as a consultant on carillon installations. Gouwens is the author of two books for teaching carillonneurs: Playing the Carillon: An Introductory Method and Campanology: A Study of Bells, with an Emphasis on the Carillon. He also performs occasionally at Ball State University and at Indiana University.