The Faculty
Paul Ashe
CEO
Paul Ashe collaborates and fosters partnerships with people and organizations across the world to champion campanological heritage. As the founding director of the National Bell Festival, he works throughout the year to restore historical bells and bell towers to their former thundering glory, then hosts a global celebration each Jan. 1 to literally ring in the New Year. A prolific writer, he serves as a recorder and custodian of our nation's bellringing traditions. Before he started clanging bells, Paul was an entrepreneur with successes in international trade development, intercultural communications, business strategy, and luxury goods management.
Carlo Van Ulft
Artistic Director & Founder
Carlo has been Director/carillonneur of the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon in Springfield, Illinois, since July, 2015. Mr. van Ulft, a native of The Netherlands, holds European Master's Level degrees in organ instruction and performance, carillon performance and theatre organ performance. He served on the faculty of the “Royal Carillon School, Jef Denyn” in Mechelen (Belgium) from 1984-1997, held positions as Municipal Carillonneur in four cities in The Netherlands and was Director/carillonneur of the Centralia (Illinois) carillon for 18 years before moving to Springfield.
Scott R. Hummel
Faculty
Scott is a composer, musician, and audio engineer from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Hummel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Music in Audio and Music Production from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. He has performance experience in keyboard instruments, choral music, and percussion. Mr. Hummel has written for various mediums, including carillon, choir, pipe organ, and percussion. His works are published through The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) and American Carillon Music Editions. Mr. Hummel’s involvement in the music industry extends beyond composition and performance to audio engineering and production, as well as experience in lighting stage and show design.
Frank DellaPenna
Faculty
Frank DellaPenna is a graduate of West Chester University, The French Carillon School in Tourcoing, France, former carillonneur of the Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge, PA and creator/performing artist of the musical act Cast in Bronze.
Frank has introduced and performed the carillon to over 2 million people with his successful career as a solo artist. He has been seen and heard on worldwide TV, radio and film.
Dr. Luc Rombouts
Faculty
Dr. Rombouts studied classical philology and obtained an MBA at the University of Leuven (Belgium). He graduated at the Royal Carillon School ‘Jef Denyn’ in Mechelen in 1987. He is city carillonneur of Tienen (Belgium), university carillonneur of Leuven (Belgium), and carillonneur of Park Abbey near Leuven. He has given recitals in Europe and in the USA and has performed during festivals and congresses. Together with his colleague Twan Bearda he forms the carillon duet The Bells’ Angels, that has been exploring the repertoire for four hands carillon playing since 2000. He teaches carillon history and campanology at the Mechelen Carillon School.
Instructors
NACS has over 10 professional musicians/instructors located throughout North America to provide not only expert education but real "hands on" experience with both practice and true carillons.