The Mayo Clinic Dolores Jean Lavins Center for Humanities, Rochester, Minnesota, announces Rayyan Merchant as the inaugural carillonneur of the center’s new carillon intensive program. This program is designed to enhance the musical landscape of Rochester with performance opportunities on the newly renovated Rochester Carillon, and Merchant’s tenure will feature a diverse array of recital programs.
Originally from Florida, Merchant is currently a carillonneur at the DIAKOVERE Henriettenstift in Hannover, Germany, a diaconic hospital home to a 49-bell Schilling carillon, cast in Heidelberg, Germany. He began carillon studies in 2022 at the University of Florida with Laura Ellis. Merchant and Michael Dixon received a GCNA student-composer grant to compose and perform an original work for carillon, Albireo. Merchant continued his studies as a student of Koen van Assche, Luc Rombouts, and Jasper Depraetere at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium. His focus lies in performing original pieces for carillon by lesser-known composers from the 20th and 21st centuries.
For information: mayoclinic.org.
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