The Glenfiddich Piping and Fiddle Championships are musical competitions for the bagpipes and fiddle. Both competitions take place annually in late autumn, at the ballroom of Blair Castle at Blair Atholl in Perthshire, Scotland.[1] Entry to each championship is by invitation only, to those who have won various recognised major UK solo competitions held throughout the year.

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship was established in 1974 to inspire and stimulate individual pipers, and to seek the best overall exponents of the Ceòl Mór or piobaireachd (the great music) and Ceòl Beag (the little music).[1]

The championship was founded and continues to be run by William Grant & Sons.,[2] distillers of Glenfiddich and other whiskies.

Ten of the leading pipers in the world, all of whom will have won important awards since the previous October, are invited. Each of them submits a list of six piobaireachd, and is required to play one of them. They also submit lists of six marches, strathspeys and reels, and play one of each, twice through.

There are prizes in each discipline, and an overall championship prize.

2012 Championship

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship 2012 was won by Iain Speirs of Edinburgh.

Other 2012 finalists included returning champion Roddy MacLeod M.B.E. of Glasgow, Callum Beaumont of Bo'ness, Murray Henderson from Kirriemuir, Finlay Johnston from Glasgow, William McCallum from Bearsden, Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Euan MacCrimmon of Isle of Skye, Gordon Walker of Ayr and Canadian-based piper Jack Lee from Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.

Previous championships

Previous Glenfiddich Piping Championship Winners from the last 49 years:

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was added in 1989 to the existing Glenfiddich Piping Championships – to reward, encourage and perpetuate the art of fiddle playing throughout the world.

Eight finalists are hand selected to compete following successes throughout the year, with each finalist giving a recital incorporating all the various styles of composition including a set of tunes by a specific composer – a new composer is chosen annually.

2015 Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2015 was won by George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire.[4] Second place went to Maggie Adamson of Fladdabister, Shetland, and third place went to Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

2014 Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2014 was won by Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.[5] Second place went to George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire, and third place went to Maura Shawn Scanlin of Boone, North Carolina, USA.

2012 Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2012 was won by Maggie Adamson from Shetland. Second place went to Erin Smith of Aberdeen, and third place went to Ronald Jappy of Findochty.

Previous championships

Glenfiddich Fiddle Championships winners:

  • 2015 George Davidson
  • 2014 Mari Black
  • 2013 Maura Shawn Scanlin
  • 2012 Maggie Adamson
  • 2011 Maggie Adamson
  • 2010 Nicola Auchnie
  • 2009 Rebecca Lomnicky
  • 2008 Raemond Jappy
  • 2007 Calum Pasqua
  • 2006 Gemma Donald
  • 2005 Sarah Naylor
  • 2004 Ross Thomson
  • 2003 Stephen Cordiner
  • 2002 Ruaridh Campbell
  • 2001 Gillian Risi
  • 2000 Gillian Risi
  • 1999 Patsy Reid
  • 1998 Patsy Reid
  • 1997 Russell Kostulin
  • 1996 Russell Kostulin
  • 1995 Paul Anderson
  • 1994 Keith Anderson
  • 1993 Kathryn Nicoll
  • 1992 Maureen Turnbull
  • 1991 Maureen Turnbull
  • 1990 Maureen Turnbull

References

  1. 1 2 Gilchrist, Jim (3 November 2009). "Music review: Glenfiddich Piping Championship". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Young fiddler is finalist in prestigious national championships". The Shetland Times. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Glenfiddich Piping Championship - The National Piping Centre". www.thepipingcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship". Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Glenfiddich piping and fiddle champions crowned". BBC News. 26 October 2014.
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