The competition involves learning several pieces of carillon music across three musical styles: baroque, romantic, and contemporary. It is extended over several days, with each contestant playing twice. A panel of judges award five prizes.[2][4]
Considered the equivalent of top global competitions for piano,[2] it has been described as the most important carillon competition in the world[5][6] and the "Olympics of the carillon"[7][8][9]
^Rombouts, Luc (2014). Singing Bronze: A History of Carillon Music. Translated by Communicationwise. Leuven University Press. p. 313. ISBN978-90-5867-956-7. The most important [carillon competition] is the Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition in Mechelen, which began in 1987 and takes place every five years.
^Beldona, Shreya (25 September 2019). "Graduate Wins Prestigious International Music Competition for Rare Instrument". Coppel Student Media. Archived from the original on 16 March 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2023. After only playing the carillon for four years, Johnson received a grant to play at the Royal Carillon Schoolin Mechlem, Belgium after winning the prestigious Queen Fabiola Competition, which is described as the 'Olympics' of the carillon.
^"Winning the 'Olympics' of the carillon". University of Rochester. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2023. Doris Aman, Johnson's former mentor and coordinator of the University's Carillon Society, describes the Queen Fabiola competition as the equivalent of top global competitions in violin or piano, or the Olympics in athletics.
