Mathieu Daniël Polak, a carillonneur from the Netherlands, is going to play a recital on the Linnie M. Barger Memorial Carillon after the 10 a.m. service at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church,
7555 Ooltewah-Georgetown Road in Ooltewah.
Mr. Polak studied at the Dutch Carillon School in Amersfoort, Netherlands. He graduated in 2000 with a master’s degree, with a specialization in carillon education. Since then, he has been a lecturer at the Netherlands Carillon Center in Amersfoort.
Mr. Polak has won prizes for carillon playing at international carillon competitions in Hamburg, Germany and Enkhuizen, Netherlands. He has played recitals in Misono, Japan, Logumkloster, Denmark, Mafra, Portugal, Dijon, France, Mol, Belgium, and Hamburg, Germany. Since 2008, he has been the carillonneur of the Erasmus University, Rotterdam, where he gives weekly recitals and teaches amateur carillonneurs. Since 2003, Mr. Polak has been the carillonneur of Spakenburg, Netherlands.
He holds master’s degrees in composition from the Lemmens Institute, Leuven, Belgium, and from the Utrecht School of the Arts, Utrecht, Netherlands. He also studied piano with Alwin Bar and Ton Hartsuiker at the Conservatory of Utrecht. Since graduating there in 1997, he has been a pianist at various ballet schools and is a private piano teacher. In the summer of 1992, Mr. Polak was a youth counselor at the summer camp, Cedar Lake Camp in Milford, Pa. He is back in the US giving carillon concerts this summer.
"We are privileged to have this internationally-famous artist come to St. Francis and play for us. While he is in the US, he is going to play some thirteen concerts at prestigious carillons that include Yale University, Rochester University, and the Washington Memorial National Carillon in Valley Forge among others," officials said. "There will be special treats for refreshments that will be suitable for enjoying while you listen to the music. Mathieu’s concert will be approximately 30 minutes in length, so there will be plenty of music to enjoy without having too long a program.
"To best enjoy hearing the bells, don’t listen too close to the tower. The carillon sounds best at some distance away. Places like sitting on the lawn down close to the far end of the building (bring a chair) or sitting on the wall down the hill on Pilgrims’ Way will allow you to hear the bells without being overwhelmed by the sound as you might be if you sit too close. Everybody is encouraged to walk about, see the beauty of God’s creation, and find a place that suits their listening pleasure. Don’t miss this program. It will be a great tintinnabulation indeed," officials said.