The GCNA holds an annual Congress at a different location each year, usually in June, lasting about 4 days. Congress events include recitals, presentations, workshops, business meetings and social opportunities. Congresses are open to members and non-members alike.
(Regional gatherings are sometimes organized by local carillonneurs. Although the GCNA offers some funding for such gatherings, official business is not conducted at such meetings and they are not official GCNA events.)
The next GCNA Congress will be held at the University of Kansas on June 10–14, 2025.
The GCNA welcomes invitations to host a Congress. Potential hosts are encouraged to consult the Guidelines for Hosting a GCNA Congress resource document, and to speak to the GCNA President or Chair of the Board Subcommittee for Events.
The first gathering of North American carillonneurs was held at Hartford in 1934. It laid the groundwork for the GCNA, which came into existence at the second such gathering, held in Ottawa in 1936. Congresses have been held annually since 1946. All are listed below.
In the First Bulletin, published in 1940, the meetings of 1934, 1936 and 1939 were referred to as the First, Second and Third Congresses of Carillonneurs in North America. Following World War II, there was a period of time when annual congresses of the GCNA were simply identified by the year in which they were held. Current practice, which is followed in the list below, numbers the congresses with respect to the founding of the GCNA.
It is common to visit other carillons in the vicinity during a congress; those are not listed. When more than one location is listed, each served as an official host for part of the Congress.
81. | 2024, June 5–8; Concord University (photo), Athens, West Virginia - visit the 2024 congress webpage here |
80. | 2023, June 14–17; St. Stephen's Church (photo), Cohasset, Massachusetts - visit the 2023 congress webpage here |
79. | 2022, June 16–19; University of Chicago (photo), Chicago, Illinois - visit the 2022 congress webpage here |
78. | 2021, June 1–30; Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut (joint GCNA/WCF congress) - held virtually via Zoom - visit the 2021 congress webpage here |
2020, canceled due to COVID-19 (GCNA/WCF congress had been scheduled to be held at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) | |
77. | 2019, June 10–14; Bok Tower (photo), Lake Wales, Florida |
76. | 2018, June 4–8; Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon (photo), Springfield, Illinois |
75. | 2017, June 18–22; Thomas J. Emery Memorial Carillon Tower (photo), Mariemont, Ohio |
74. | 2016, June 16–20; Yale University (photo), New Haven, Connecticut; highlights |
73. | 2015, June 15–19; Missouri State University (photo), Springfield, Missouri |
72. | 2014, June 16–20; University of Denver (photo), Denver, Colorado |
71. | 2013, June 18–21; House of Hope Presbyterian Church (photo), St. Paul, Minnesota; highlights |
70. | 2012, June 17–21; Clemson University (photo), Clemson, South Carolina; highlights |
69. | 2011, June 26–July 1; Kirk-in-the-Hills Presbyterian Church (photo), Christ Church Cranbrook, St. Hugo's Catholic Church, Bloomfield Hills and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; highlights |
68. | 2010, June 14–17; The Millennium Carillon (photo), Naperville, Illinois; highlights |
67. | 2009, June 22–25; Longwood Gardens (photo), Kennett Square, Pennsylvania |
66. | 2008, June 10–13; University of California at Berkeley (photo), Berkeley, California |
65. | 2007, June 18–21; University of the South (photo), Sewanee, Tennessee |
64. | 2006, June 20–23; Yale University (photo), New Haven, Connecticut |
63. | 2005, June 13–17; Grand Valley State University (photo), Grand Rapids, Michigan |
62. | 2004, June 7–10; The Culver Academies (photo), Culver, Indiana |
61. | 2003, June 17–20; Berea College (photo), Berea, Kentucky |
60. | 2002, June 26–29; University of Michigan (photo), Ann Arbor, Michigan |
59. | 2001, June 23–26; Kirk-in-the-Hills (photo), Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
58. | 2000, June 25–28; The Joseph Dill Baker Carillon (photo), Frederick, Maryland, and Mercersburg Academy (photo), Mercersburg, Pennsylvania |
57. | 1999, June 16–19; Iowa State University (photo), Ames, Iowa |
56. | 1998, June 17–20; University of California at Berkeley (photo), Berkeley, California |
55. | 1997, June 4–7; University of Kansas (photo), Lawrence, Kansas |
54. | 1996, June 24–28; St. Stephen's Church (photo), Cohasset, Massachusetts |
53. | 1995, June 21–25; Princeton University (photo), Princeton, New Jersey |
52. | 1994, July 7–10; Brigham Young University (photo), Provo, Utah |
51. | 1993, June 16–20; First-Plymouth Congregational Church (photo), Lincoln, Nebraska |
50. | 1992, June 12–16; Deeds Memorial Carillon (photo), Dayton, Ohio |
49. | 1991, June 27–July 1; Baylor University (photo), Waco, Texas |
48. | 1990, June 24–27; Washington National Cathedral (photo), Washington, D.C. |
47. | 1989, June 23–27; City Hall (photo), Albany, New York |
46. | 1988, June 6–10; University of California at Berkeley (photo), Berkeley, California |
45. | 1987, June 22–25; Rees Memorial Carillon (photo), Springfield, Illinois |
44. | 1986, July 10–13; Houses of Parliament (photo), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
43. | 1985, June 10–13; Culver Military Academy (photo), Culver, Indiana |
42. | 1984, June 18–22; University of Wisconsin (photo), Madison, Wisconsin |
41. | 1983, June 19–23; Central Christian Church (photo), San Antonio and First Baptist Church (photo), Corpus Christi, Texas |
40. | 1982, June 22–25; Trinity College (photo), Hartford, Connecticut |
39. | 1981, June 22–26; Mayo Clinic(photo), Rochester, Minnesota |
38. | 1980, June 20–24; Iowa State University (photo), Ames, and University of Northern Iowa (photo), Cedar Falls, Iowa |
37. | 1979, June 17–22; Mountain Lake Sanctuary (photo), Lake Wales, Florida |
36. | 1978, June 15–20; Christ Church Cranbrook (photo), Bloomfield Hills, and University of Michigan (photo), Ann Arbor, Michigan |
35. | 1977, June 23–26; St. Chrysostom's Church (photo) and University of Chicago (photo), Chicago, Illinois |
34. | 1976, June 14–17; Washington Memorial Carillon (photo), Valley Forge, St. Thomas Church Whitemarsh, Fort Washington and Trinity United Church of Christ, Holland, Pennsylvania |
33. | 1975, June 15–18; University of California - Riverside (photo), Riverside, and UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California( |
32. | 1974, June 23–26; Emery Memorial Carillon (photo), Mariemont, Ohio |
31. | 1973, June 17–21; Scottish Rite Cathedral, Indianapolis, and Indiana University (photo), Bloomington, Indiana |
30. | 1972, June 18–21; Metropolitan United Church (photo) and The University of Toronto (photo), Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
29. | 1971, June 20–23; Rees Memorial Carillon (photo), Springfield, Illinois |
28. | 1970, June 28–July 1; Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (photo), Spokane, Washington |
27. | 1969, June 22–25; Yale University (photo) New Haven, Connecticut |
26. | 1968, June 16–19; Mountain Lake Sanctuary (photo), Lake Wales, Florida |
25. | 1967, August 28–30; Houses of Parliament (photo), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
24. | 1966, June 19–22; Princeton University (photo), Princeton, New Jersey |
23. | 1965, June 13–16; Iowa State University (photo), Ames, Iowa |
22. | 1964, June 14–19; Washington National Cathedral (photo), Washington, D.C. |
21. | 1963, June 16–19; House of Hope Presbyterian Church (photo), Saint Paul, Minnesota |
20. | 1962, June 17–20; University of Michigan (photo), Ann Arbor, Michigan |
19. | 1961, June 18–21; Culver Military Academy (photo), Culver, Indiana |
18. | 1960, June 19-22; 1st Presbyterian Church (photo), Jackson and University of the South (photos), Sewanee, Tennessee |
17. | 1959, August 23–26; Christ Church Cranbrook (photo), Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
16. | 1958, June 22–25; Washington Memorial Carillon (photo), Valley Forge, Pennsylvania |
15. | 1957, June 16–19; Church of the Savior (photo) and St. Paul's Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
14. | 1956, June 17–20; University of Kansas (photo), Lawrence, Kansas |
13. | 1955, August 28–31; Houses of Parliament (photo), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
12. | 1954, June 21–23; Wellesley College (photo), Wellesley, Massachusetts |
11. | 1953, June 21–24; University of Chicago (photo), Chicago, Illinois, and Culver Military Academy (photo), Culver, Indiana |
10. | 1952, June 23–25; Emery Memorial Carillon (photo), Mariemont, Ohio |
9. | 1951, June 25–27; Rainbow Bridge (photo), Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Cathedral of Christ the King (photo), Hamilton, Ontario |
8. | 1950, June 19–21; City Hall (photo), Albany, New York |
7. | 1949, June 20–22; Trinity United Methodist Church (photo), Springfield, Massachusetts |
6. | 1948, June 14–16; University of Michigan (photo), Ann Arbor, Michigan |
5. | 1947, August 25–27; Luray Singing Tower, Luray, Virginia |
4. | 1946, August 28–30; Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey |
3. | 1942, [Dates unknown]; Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts |
2. | 1939, August [days unknown]; Riverside Church, New York, New York |
1. | 1936, September 1–3 (GCNA founded); Houses of Parliament (photo), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
1934, October 3–4 (Pre-GCNA meeting); Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut |
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