2024 Winter Storm gears up around forecasted . . . winter storms

The twenty-first running of Winter Storm will go from Thursday, January 11th, until Sunday, January 14th, at the Kansas City Marriott – Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, and if weather forecasts are accurate, the event could wrap perfectly around . . . winter storms.

With five inches of snow predicted for the Friday and a few inches more snow later on Sunday, attendees should be able to travel to and from the popular Midwestern series of piping and drumming workshops, competitions and performances put on by the Midwest Highland Arts Fund charitable organization.

A total of 276 entries have been submitted for the wide range of solo and mini-band contests on the Friday, chief among them the Gold Medal competitions in all genres of piping and drumming.

Fourteen pipers will compete in the Gold Medal Professional Light Music (13 in the Gold Medal Piobaireachd), and nearly 30 will compete in the Silver Medal Professional events, making for a very long day for the Piobaireachd judges.

Of note, the Winter Storm Gold Medal Piobaireachd will feature three Highland Society of London Gold Medallists: Nick Hudson, Ian K. MacDonald and Michael Rogers, who recently returned to competing after a long hiatus. Several pipers will make their competitive debut in the Professional grade, including Cameron Bonar, Tom Cangelosi, and Kevin Darmedi.

Eleven pipe band snare drummers will compete in the MSR Professional Gold Medal qualifying round, vying for one of eight spots in the MSRHPJ final.

Judges of the competitions include some of the biggest names in piping and drumming, such as Callum Beaumont, Hugh Cameron Stephen Creighton, Terry Lee, Stuart Liddell, Roddy MacDonald, Roddy MacLeod, Reid Maxwell, Steven McWhirter, Fred Morrison, Richard Parkes and Bob Worrall. Most of them will participate in various workshop sessions.

The workshops, concert, and the Winter Steam wrap-party will be on Saturday and Sunday.

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for results from the 2024 Winter Storm competitions as they are available.