The Netherlands Carillon, a 127-foot-tall musical monument, is a symbol of friendship and freedom.

As the Dutch government is in the midst of its “Slavery Memorial Year,” which remembers the atrocities of slavery and celebrates its abolition, this year’s event will reflect on the meaning of freedom.  

Mary N. Elliott, curator at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture, will give the keynote address. Carillonneur Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, will play a selection of spiritual and secular music.  

The Freedom Concert also features Washington D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts Show Choir. The Show Choir has performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center, and around the world. Superintendent Charles Cuvelier of the National Park Service’s George Washington Memorial Parkway and Dutch Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar will give remarks as well.  

The public is invited to attend this free concert and can register here.

At the event, the media will have the opportunity to interview Ambassador Tazelaar, Superintendent Cuvelier and performers. Media who want to cover the concert must RSVP by 12 p.m. on May 3 by sending their name and media outlet to was-ppc@minbuza.nl.

During the Freedom Concert, we celebrate and contemplate the multifaceted essence of freedom. The annual event is held on the Netherlands’ Liberation Day, which is celebrated on May 5. The Netherlands Carillon was presented to the people of the United States in 1952 in appreciation for US assistance during and after World War II.