Dina Verheyden

City carillonist Puurs, carillon teacher Royal Carillon School Mechelen

Dina Verheyden (°Mechelen, 1982) has been associated with the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen for several years as a teacher of carillon, chamber music, choir and handbells, theory and technique of the carillon, piano, campanology and practical harmony.  She conducts the handbell ensemble Akabella, composed of students and alumni of the carillon school. Together with her husband Richard de Waardt, she strives to make music and carillon known and loved by young audiences, also by organizing music workshops (www.daarzitmuziekin.be). 

Dina began her studies at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen at the age of thirteen. After obtaining a Master's degree in solo singing at the LUCA School of Arts, Lemmens Institute department in Leuven, and successfully completing her teacher training there, she graduated from the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen in 2007. Later she took master classes with several renowned carillonneurs such as Geert D'hollander (BE), Timothy Hurd (NZ), Bernard Winsemius (NL), ...  

Dina is carillonneur in Mechelen of the Onze-lieve-vrouw over de Dijle, and municipal carillonneur of Puurs - Sint-Amands. She sings in various genres and ensembles: classical to contemporary in the Chamber Choir Flanders, and the ensemble Manebrandt (voice/(bass) clarinet, accordion, guitar, double bass).  She has years of experience as a vocal coach and was also a carillon teacher for several years at the Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie (IMEP) in Namur.