Rising star Simone Browne makes her U-M debut at Burton Memorial Tower in our “2023: A Century of Women and the Carillon” concert series with a program that opens with 3 works by Ukrainian composers. All concerts are free and family-friendly.
This year’s summer series features artists from across the country and world playing the great 53-bell Charles Baird Carillon in Burton Tower. The carillon is an outdoor instrument, and attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets, chairs, and anything else they’d like to feel comfortable. Concert programs and a carillon coloring book for kids are available from concert staff at or near the tower door. Accessible restrooms are available in the Michigan League.
The nearest municipal parking structures are at 324 Maynard and at 510 E Washington. Street parking is limited due to nearby construction.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Simone Browne is a carillonist originally from Tucson, AZ. She was introduced to the carillon at the University of Chicago, where she joined its Guild of Carillonneurs and studied with Joey Brink. After graduating in 2019, Simone spent a year living in Chernivtsi, Ukraine through the Fulbright program, teaching English and visiting Ukrainian carillons.
With the support of the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF), she studied under Eddy Mariën, Koen Van Assche, Tom Van Peer, and Dina Verheyden at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium from 2020–2022. She graduated “with great distinction” in June 2021, then remained at the Carillon School for an additional post-graduation specialization year. In 2023, she spent several months studying with Geert D’hollander as a Carillon Fellow at Bok Tower Gardens.

Simone researches carillon culture and enjoys learning languages in her spare time. She has performed recitals on carillons in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Lithuania, Denmark, the US, and Ukraine.