Bell, Gandy, Brown, Russell, Cappuccino storm KC

Kansas City – January 9, 2015 – The 2015 Midwest Highland Arts Fund Winter Storm solo competitions were held at the Marriott Hotel County Club Plaza with a record entry for the event. Jim Bell won the Gold Medal Pioaireachd, and Alex Gandy took the top piping light music prize. Blair Brown, Owen Russell, and Kahlil Cappuccino won the first prizes in the professional snare, tenor and bass drumming competitions, respectively. The major winners will perform at a concert after the workshops held on January 10th.

Solo Piping
Piobaireachd
Gold Medal (sponsored by R.G. Hardie & Co.)
1st James Bell, Batesville, Arkansas, “Glengarry’s March”
2nd Jori Chisholm, Seattle
3rd Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh
Judges: Brian Donaldson, Colin MacLellan

Silver Medal (sponsored by McCallum Bagpipes)
1st Andrew Donlon, Germantown, Maryland
2nd Josh McFarlane, Brighton, Ontario
3rd Joseph Stewart, Seattle
4th Eilidh MacDonald, Regina, Saskatchewan
5th Stephen MacNeil, Brethren, Michigan
Judges: Chris Apps, Jack Taylor

Light Music
Professional MSR (sponsored by Henderson’s Pipe & Drum Supply)
1st Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
2nd Andrew Carlisle
3rd Alastair Lee, Coquitlam, British Columbia
Judges: Roddy MacLeod, Donald McBride

Amateur (sponsored by Lee & Sons Bagpipes)
Grade 1
1st Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas
2nd James Dyson, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
3rd Sean Regan, Woodstock, Virginia
Judge: Terry Lee

Grade 2
1st Griffin Hall, Overland Park, Kansas
2nd Jack O’Connell, Croton on Hudson, New York
3rd Andrew Robertson, Frankford, Ontario
Judge: Chris Apps

Grade 3
1st Eric Qualls, Kansas City
2nd Lauren VanDerWal, Springfield, Illinois
3rd Jaron Park, Springfield, Illinois
Judge: Keith Paton