The internationally renowned artist and composer touched down in the capital on Friday to perform in this year's Carillon Concerts series.

D'Hollander will play pieces he has composed himself as well as some improvised music suited to the carillon's "mild, round to warm sound" in a public concert on Sunday afternoon.

He wanted to use his first visit to Canberra to show what was possible on the city's most prominent yet often misunderstood musical instrument.

"You can play almost everything if you make the right arrangements, if you pick the right music, then you can play stuff all the way from Bach to Lady Gaga," he said.

"It's just a matter of how you arrange it for that instrument and perform it and make sure you listen good enough and then make a beautiful sound. Then people will understand the instrument."

He said some people who heard the carillon played for the first time, or played badly, got the wrong impression.

"I think as a performer you should try to communicate with your listeners. The nice thing is if you play something and people stop and they look at the tower. That means they pick it up."

D'Hollander said the "just stunning" natural setting of the National Carillon was a welcome change from many of the world's older carillons, including the instrument at the 14th century Antwerp Cathedral he played for many years.

"When you stop playing there the first thing you hear is noise, because it's in the middle of the city.

"Here, it's wonderful. It's a dream for a musician. What you have here is a natural concert hall."

The carillon was opened on Aspen Island in 1970 as a gift from the British government to mark the capital's 50th anniversary.

From a room nearly 50 metres above the lake, Canberra's four qualified carillonists perform free concerts that cause the attraction's 55 bronze bells to ring out every Wednesday and Sunday.

Lead carillonist Lyn Fuller said the carillon was "the easiest instrument to play in a dirge-like fashion – fast and loud".

"But it takes a lot of skill to make the instrument speak and to make music ... Geert is very skilled at being able to play a smooth line of music and a smooth melody."

D'Hollander will spend four days in the capital teaching seasoned carillonists, as well as junior players Peter Bray and Kriti Mahajan, both 15.

"It's really amazing to learn from someone who's so experienced in this because we're only just starting out," Peter said.