OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center invites the public to join them for a truly unique musical experience as Estonia’s top handbell ensemble, Arsis, brings their shimmering sound “From Bach to Pärt” to the Riverbend region as part of the ensemble’s summer U.S. tour.
The FREE concert will be held on Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m., in the Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel on the campus of Lewis & Clark Community College (5800 Godfrey Rd, Godfrey, IL). Seating is “first come, first served,” and free-will offerings will be accepted.
Concert goers can expect dazzling arrangements of classical favorites (Bach, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky) and powerful works by Estonian masters, including Arvo Pärt. Music lovers won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to hear one of Europe’s most celebrated handbell groups live on stage.
More information on this FREE concert can be obtained by calling (618) 474-6101.
Founded in 1993, the Arsis Handbell Ensemble is one of Europe’s leading handbell groups, renowned for its virtuosity, artistry, and distinctive sound. When the ensemble began, it consisted of the only 12 handbell musicians not just in Estonia, but in the entire Baltic and Scandinavian region.
Today, Arsis has grown significantly. It operates two handbell schools in Tallinn and Tartu, several concert ensembles, and owns one of the world’s most impressive handbell collections — all crafted at the Malmark Bellcraftsmen factory in the United States.
Based in Estonia, the Arsis concert ensemble is made up of talented graduates from its handbell schools, chosen through national competition. This 12-member ensemble has performed hundreds of concerts across Europe, the United States, and beyond, and has earned top honors at international music festivals, including the Grand Prix in Bratislava and First Prize at the Muse International Music Competition.
The ensemble is led by conductor Aivar Mäe, a prominent figure in Estonian cultural life, who has directed Arsis since its inception. Mäe has also served as the artistic director of international choir festivals and has led choral and handbell music seminars in the United States and Finland. He has previously held the position of general manager at Eesti Kontsert (Estonia’s national concert institute) and the Estonian National Opera, and he currently serves as the general manager of the Vanemuine Theatre.
Arsis' U.S. tour will take place July 5–18, 2025, with performances in Baltimore (MD), Pittsburgh (PA), Louisville (KY), Alton (IL), Chicago (IL), Akron (OH), and Hershey (PA). The highlight of the tour is Arsis’ featured concert at Pinnacle 2025—the premier handbell music event in the United States—hosted by the Handbell Musicians of America, on July 11 at the Mary Jane Teall Theater in Wichita, Kansas.
The concert program, From Bach to Pärt, features timeless classical masterpieces (Bach, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky) alongside evocative works by Estonian composers, including Heino Eller, Tõnu Kõrvits, and especially Arvo Pärt, whose 90th birthday will be celebrated in 2025. Many arrangements have been created by Estonian composers and arrangers, offering audiences a fresh and expressive handbell experience rooted in Estonia’s rich musical tradition.
More information on Arsis can be obtained by visiting www.arsis.ee.