Carillonneur Exam

Carolyn Bolden, from Denver Colorado, began studying piano as a child, and she started accompanying for Sunday School singing while still in elementary school. When she was in high school, a family donated a new pipe organ to the church her family attended, and she began organ lessons. She studied Music Education at the University of Minnesota where her major instrument was the organ. After teaching vocal music for two years in Upsala, Minnesota, Carolyn moved to Denver where she has been actively involved in various church music programs in the Denver area, as organist, director of music, and participant. Her primary source of employment for more than 30 years was in the Information Technology department at the University of Denver. During her time in Minneapolis, Carolyn was introduced to the carillon in Rochester, Minnesota, by a high school friend. Years later (when she and her husband became “empty nesters”), she began studying carillon in 2010 at the University of Denver with Carol Jickling Lens, the University Carillonneur. She passed the Associate Carillonneur Exam in 2013 and in June 2014 achieved GCNA carillonneur status. She has played recitals in Denver, and also in Minnesota, Missouri, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Carolyn retired from her IT position at the University of Denver in 2019, and now spends a good deal of time with her 1-year-old puppy and her 1-year-old granddaughter. She continues to play as often as she can. (Bolden serves as an alternate juror for the 2023 examination.)

Keiran Cantilina hails from Cleveland, Ohio. He was introduced to bell instruments during his university years, where he was a player of Cornell University's historic twenty-one-bell chime. During his graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, Keiran began studying the carillon with Dave Johnson at the House of Hope carillon in St. Paul. In 2018–2019, he studied carillon in Belgium with Koen Van Assche on a scholarship from the Belgian American Education Foundation. He graduated from the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen and was a finalist in the Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition held in 2019. Keiran is a Carillonneur Member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and he serves as a member of the board of directors of the Friends of the McGaffin Carillon in Cleveland. He is also the assistant carillonist at Church of the Covenant. When not playing carillon, Keiran works as a principal research engineer at the Cleveland Clinic. (Cantilina serves as an alternate juror for the 2023 examination.)

Since 1983, David Hunsberger has been one of the assistant carilloneurs at the University of California (Berkeley), and during the 1999-2000 academic year was Acting University Carilloneur. He studied carillon at The Riverside Church in New York City with James R. Lawson, and at the Rees Carillon in Springfield IL, with Raymond Keldermans. He holds the Berkeley Medal for distinguished service to the carillon. Mr. Hunsberger joined The Guild in early 1974 and has not missed a congress since. He advanced in 1976 at Trinity UCC, Holland PA. He was Treasurer during 1976-78 and 1996-2019, Recording Secretary during 1978-96, sat on the Board of Directors during 1979-94 and 2010-18, and has been chair of its legal committee since 1992. He has worked on many of its other committees, including nominations, examinations, brochure, scholarship, and world federation. He enjoys traveling abroad and cross-country drives. He walks several miles each day along San Francisco Bay with his husband Neil. He does lots of sudoku. He is now owner of his third convertible. He’s not much of a cook but likes people who are.

Mark Lee is certified as a Carillonneur by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and regularly plays the Theodore C. Butz Memorial Carillon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He has served on the guild’s Examination committee, as co-editor of the guild’s newsletter Carillon News, and on the Ronald Barnes Memorial Fund jury. Mr. Lee has been an active church and synagogue musician in the Chicago area, and has served as an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations, Toronto, Ontario.

Carol Jickling Lens began her carillon studies in 8th grade at Christ Church Cranbrook. She continued at the University of Michigan and The Netherlands Carillon School in Amersfoort, where she studied with Leen ‘t Hart, and earned both the Practical and End Diplomas. Lens is a Carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA), is a judge and was chair of the Exam Committee for many years, sat on the Board from 1996-99 and 2017 - 20, was head of the Nominations Committee and is a new member of the Barnes Fund committee. Lens and her family have lived in England, Ghana, New Orleans, Houston and Libya. She has played carillon recitals all over the US, in England and the Netherlands. Lens has played informal recitals in St. Petersburg, Russia, and outside of Seoul, South Korea. She held the position of Carillonneur at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church and The Bell Tower Center in Houston, TX. She was appointed University Carillonneur at The University of Denver January 5, 2010, and retired August of 2022.

Patrick Macoska lived in Michigan until recently, where he had careers in architecture and church music. He studied carillon at the University of Michigan and played his GCNA (Guild of Carillonneurs in North America) advancement recital in 1997 at the University of Kansas. Patrick has been active in the Guild, serving two terms on the Board of Directors and serving as Chairperson of the Examinations Committee. He has given carillon concerts throughout the U.S. and Canada. Until his recent move back to his hometown of Cleveland, he played weekly recitals on the two carillons at the University of Michigan as well as on the 51-bell Paccard carillon at St. Mary’s of Redford Church in Detroit where he served as director of music. He currently serves as chapel organist at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland and is a frequent guest carillonneur at the Church of the Covenant. Patrick also serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the McGaffin Carillon in University Circle.

A celebrated artist on carillon and organ, Tin-Shi Tam has given recitals in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States. She was a featured carillon recitalist at the Festival International de Carillon en Côte d'Or in France, the International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens in Florida, and the Congresses of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. In 2008, TAM represented the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America to perform at the World Carillon Federation Congress in Groningen, The Netherlands. As an active clinician, TAM has given master classes, lectures and education programs extensively. A selection of her carillon arrangements of Scriabin’s music was published by Nederlandse Klokkenspel-Vereniging, and her carillon compact disk “The Bells of Iowa State” was released in 2004. At present, she is the Charles T. & Ivadelle Cobb Cownie Professor of Music (the university carillonneur) and the chair of the keyboard division at Iowa State University.