Bruce Gandy wins his ninth USPF Championship; Olivia Corcoran wins the amateur

Bethesda, Maryland – June 20, 2026 – With a Piobaireachd win and a second in the MSR, Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, won the United States Piping Foundation Solo Piping Championship for the ninth time against a field of 16 other contestants at Cedar Lane Unitarian Congregation. It was also the seventh time Gandy won the Piobaireachd event. Mike Cusack of Houston holds the record for most championship wins, with 11.

Olivia Corcoran of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was the overall amateur winner, in which 13 pipers competed.

Professional
Piobaireachd (St. Andrew’s Society of Philadelphia Silver Quaich)
1st Bruce Gandy, “Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck” (US$1,000)
2nd Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC, “Lament for Airds” ($800)
3rd Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey, “The MacDonalds Are Simple” ($600)
4th Andrew Zhao, Sugarland, Texas, “The Phantom Piper of Corrieyairack” ($400)
5th Bobby Durning, Carrolton, Texas, “Lament for the Iolaire” ($200)
Judges: Paula Glendinning, Jack Taylor

MSR (St. Andrew’s Society of Baltimore Silver Charger)
1st Derek Midgley, “Major Manson at Clachantrushal,” “Mrs. Donald MacPherson,” “Neil Angus MacDonald” ($1,000)
2nd Bruce Gandy, “P-M Karen MacLean,” “The Islay Ball,” “Stornoway Castle” ($800)
3rd Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh, “Mrs. John MacColl,” “John Roy Stewart,” “The Grey Bob” ($600)
4th Alex Pavlovic, Houston, “Verna Leith’s Wedding March,” “Johnny Ross, Craigard,” “Murdo MacGillvary of Eoligarry” ($400)
5th Cameron MacDougall, South Orange, New Jersey, “Leaving Glenurquhart,” “Neil Sutherland of Lairg,” “Sandy Cameron” ($200)
Judges: Joyce McIntosh, Bob Worrall

Amateur
Piobaireachd (Donald MacPherson Silver Quaich)
1st Logan Gorsuch, Rolling Hills Estates, California, “Nameless Hiharin Dro o Dro”
2nd Olivia Corcoran, “Tulloch Ard”
3rd John Bertino, Arlington, Virginia, “Lament for the Viscount of Dundee”
4th Liam Horne, Bristol, Virginia, “In Praise of Morag”
5th Elizabeth Knox, Woodbine, Maryland, “The Old Men of the Shells”
Judges: Skip Cleavinger, Ken McKeveny

MSR (Seumas MacNeill Silver Quaich)
1st Olivia Corcoran, “Duncan MacColl,” “Dora MacLeod,” “Alick Cameron, Champion Piper”
2nd Liam Horne, “Dugald MacColl’s Farewell to France,” “Lady Louden,” “Dolina MacKay”
3rd Elizabeth Knox, “Major Manson at Clachantrushal,” “Susan MacLeod,” “Alick C. MacGregor”
4th Karl Fetter, Athens, Georgia, “South Hall,” “Inveraray Castle,” “Cecily Ross”
5th Hazen Metro, Williamstown, Vermont, “The Knightswood Ceilidh,” “Stac Polly,” “John Garroway”
Judges: Skip Cleavinger, Ken McKeveny

A correction was made on June 21, 2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Bruce Gandy’s nine championships are a record. The record is in fact 11 by Mike Cusack.