Carillon bell concert to ring in a new semester at Clemson University

On the afternoon of Sunday, September 22, Clemson visitors and residents will be treated to Music in the Air XX, a concert featuring University Carillonneur and Performing Arts Department Chair Linda Dzuris. Attendees are invited to bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the rich and resonant music that will ring out from the 48 bells that sit atop Tillman Hall. Prime listening areas include Bowman Field, the Military Heritage Plaza, Cox Plaza, and the Carillon Garden. The concert program will include classical arrangements, pieces composed specifically for the carillon, and popular tunes by artists such as Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift.

"The carillon is a public instrument, one that is enjoyed by an audience that is outdoors in a relaxed manner," Dzuris explained. "People may stroll, picnic on Bowman Field, listen while tossing a frisbee, and children can play."

The carillon bells

Clemson University's carillon, the most prominent musical instrument on campus, is an iconic part of the University. Once a singular bell and timepiece for military cadets, the tower transitioned into a musical instrument when the first four bronze bells - known as the Clemson University Victory Peal - were acquired through a donation made by Rembert 'Red' Horton '30 and his family. Additional bells were acquired through the generosity of many other donors, and the 47-bell carillon, with bells ranging from 32 to 3486 pounds, was dedicated on October 18, 1987.

"The Class of 1943 championed the idea of a carillon for our campus," Dzuris said. "They had fond memories of hearing bells at Clemson. Their goal was to give that same Clemson experience to future students. Wherever they end up in the world, hearing a bell would remind them of their time on campus and a sense of place as members of an extensive Clemson Family."

Clemson's first carillonneur

Linda Dzuris, a professor of music and the current chair of the Department of the Performing Arts, was appointed Clemson's first University Carillonneur in 1999. Dzuris teaches private and group carillon lessons as well as organ. Additionally, Dzuris is a performance instructor at the North American Carillon School. She received her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in organ performance and church music from the University of Michigan.

Dzuris is the past President of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA). She has been a featured guest artist in carillon concert series throughout the United States, The Netherlands, France, and Switzerland. In 2017, Dzuris performed concerts on behalf of the GCNA at the 19th World Carillon Federation Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. She was appointed as North American Delegate at the World Carillon Federation in Utrecht, NL, in 2023. The American Carillon Music Editions and the Yale Guild of Carillonneurs publish Dzuris's original carillon compositions.