Claire Janezic
I play the carillon, an instrument with bronze bells, originating in the Low Countries (Europe) in the early 16th century.
VIDEO
"Chartres", a carillon composition of Roy Hamlin Johnson, played during the 2023 World Carillon Congress in Utrecht (NL) on the "Bronzen Piano", a mobile carillon.
BIOGRAPHY
Claire Janezic (USA) studied carillon at the Royal Carillon School ‘Jef Denyn’ in Mechelen, Belgium, through a Fellowship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF). She graduated summa cum laude in June 2023, studying under Koen Van Assche. Her thesis was entitled “Barber, Menotti, and Rota in Bok Tower: An Analysis of the first published North American Carillon Music.”
Previously, Claire played carillon for 5 years at the University of Rochester, where she graduated in 2022 with a Music and History double-major and an Audio and Music Engineering minor. During her time at the U of R, Claire enjoyed playing mbira and performing in two gamelan ensembles. She also played keyboards and served as Music Director for No Jackets Required, a student popular music group, and served as music director for Dream Visualize Create, a community theater group.
Claire spent her final year at the University of Rochester teaching carillon, organizing a weekly carillon concert series, and playing concerts in the United States.
In 2021, Claire passed the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America’s (GCNA) Carillonneur Examination. Later that year, she was awarded a grant from the GCNA to premiere an original carillon composition.
After graduating at the Mechelen carillon school in 2023, Claire studied with Geert D'hollander as a Blanchard Carillon Fellow at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida from October 2023 to March 2024, where she performed five half-hour concerts every week.
She is currently studying with Carl Van Eyndhoven during her studies for Master in Music with specialization carillon at LUCA School of Arts, campus Lemmens, Leuven (B). In addition, she studies with Koen Cosaert in the specialization degree of the Mechelen carillon school.
In August 2023, she performed during the World Carillon Congress and played a concert as part of the Festival of Old Music in Utrecht (NL). She has performed carillon concerts in the United States, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Lithuania, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Claire is currently assistent carillonneur of the Belgian city of Turnhout.
Together with Sydney Nguyen (USA) she forms the carillon duo "Fellowship of the Ring".
In July 2024 Claire was laureate of the International Carillon Competition "Queen Fabiola" in Mechelen (B), and in September 2024 she won the first prize of the International Carillon Competition in Brielle (NL).
