Balmoral Classic opens entries to Under-22 pipers and drummers

The 13th annual Balmoral Classic U.S. Junior Solo Piping & Drumming Championships in Pittsburgh are open for entry for solo players 21 or younger who are ready to vie for prizes against some of the best young players around.

Applicants are required to meet certain standards, based on amateur upper grade competitive successes. Pipers compete in Piobaireachd and MSR events, and snare drummers in MSR and Hornpipe & Jig contests. There will be a separate special event available to novice drummers.

Piping judges are Ian Duncan, Bruce Gandy and Lezlie Webster, and Gordon Bell and Jon Quigg will assess the drumming.

Deadline for entries is October 15th. Just go to the Balmoral Classic website to find more information and entry forms to complete.

The contest is on Saturday, November 16, with the piping at the Frick Fine Arts Building, 650 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh. The venue for the drumming will be announced. Ian Duncan will conduct a piobaireachd workshop on the morning of Sunday, November 17.

The Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded and maintained in Pittsburgh since 1979, “to raise the standard and promote the appreciation of bagpipe music in the USA by providing world class instruction, cultivating excellence in youth, presenting innovative musical events, and fostering tradition.”

Last year, Charlie Morris of Agoura Hills, California, won the piping and Shane Stapleton of Deer Park, New York, took the snare drumming, each winning both events in their domains.

The competition is one of two significant fall amateur events in the eastern United States. The Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational will be held on Saturday, October 12, in Scotia, New York.

Related articles

Stapleton, Morris dance to Balmoral Classic success
November 19, 2018

Bonus of Balmoral: free lessons for novice registrants at summer school
April 13, 2018

Horwath, Darmadi, MacDonald winners at Balmoral Classic
November 20, 2017