Canberra’s Thomas Laue has only played the carillon for about two years but is ranked among the world’s best performers.
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The senior carillonist was the first Australian to compete in the world’s most prestigious international carillon competition, the recent International Carillon-Competition Queen Fabiola, in Belgium.
Laue finished third in the four-day event despite opposition from carillonists with twice as much experience.
“I wasn’t expecting it. Some competitors have played for even 12 years so, I’m quite proud,” he said.
After he had submitted his PhD more than two years ago and in search of something to do, the pianist caught the attention of his future teacher, carillonist Lyn Fuller, during a public tour of the National Carillon.
“I started fiddling around and Lynne noticed I could work things out. She eventually offered me lessons and I said ‘yes, definitely’," he said.
“The keys are laid out a bit like the piano but it’s much louder – six tons of metal vibrating.”
Laue plays the National Carillon about nine hours a week and is completing a diploma through the renowned Royal Carillon School Jef Denyn in the Belgium town of Mechelen – the global centre of carillon playing and teaching.
While in Belgium for the competition, Laue joined fellow Canberra carillonists at the World Carillon Federation Congress 2014.
The group also participated in a World War I centenary recital to commemorate unknown soldiers who were killed during the conflict.
Back in Canberra, Laue is about to pass on his skills to the next generation of carillonists.
He will teach two children how to play the mighty instrument through a new National Capital Authority program.
“I think it’s great we’re teaching young kids. It means families come in and see the carillon as an instrument," he said.
“A lot of people in Canberra think this is an automatic machine that just plays tunes every now and then or strikes every 15 minutes."