Joey Brink has been named sixth university carillonneur for the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, beginning October 2015. He succeeds Wylie Crawford, who retires after 41 years of performing on the university’s Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon and 31 years as university carillonneur. Brink, a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America, will perform for major university events and for daily recitals and will teach students.
Brink began his carillon training at Yale University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. His thesis focused on the design of realistic-touch practice carillon claviers. After his undergraduate work, Brink studied at the Royal Belgian Carillon School at Mechelen through a Belgian-American Educational Foundation fellowship. More recently, he has taught carillon while pursuing a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Utah. In 2014, he received first and audience prizes at the Seventh International Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition. In addition, he is an active composer for the instrument.
Brink is a member of the 2015 class of The Diapason’s “20 under 30.” The Laura Spelman Rockefeller carillon is the second-heaviest instrument in the world with 72 bells and 100 tons of bronze, installed in 1932 by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon, England, and restored between 2006 and 2008.
Photo credit: Bok Tower Gardens
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