Winter Storm: Carlisle takes overall top piping prize; Bonar wins his first two Pro contests; Brown on top in snare drumming

Kansas City, Missouri –January 12, 2024 – The weather outside was frightful, but the solo piping and drumming inside at the annual Winter Storm competitions was delightful. Held at the Kansas City Marriott-Country Club Plaza Grand Ballroom, Andrew Carlisle of Pittsburgh, with fourth and sixth prizes, was the aggregate winner across the two Gold Medal events, the only piper to have a prize in each list.

Blair Brown won the Gold Medal snare drumming after an MSR qualifying round that saw eight go through to an MSRHP&J final event.

The Gold Medal Piobaireachd prize went to Washington, DC’s Ben McClamrock, while Nick Hudson of Houston won the Light Music Gold Medal.

In his debut in the Professional grade, Cameron Bonar of Surrey, British Columbia, gained both the Silver Medal Piobaireachd and the Silver Medal light music, kicking off what is sure to be a stellar career.

The full Friday of solo competitions is followed by a Saturday of workshops, culminating with a nighttime concert by instructors and prize winners.

Piping

Professional
United States Gold Medal Piobaireachd Championship (13 competed)
1st Ben McClamrock
2nd Michael Rogers, Silver Spring, Maryland
3rd Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC
4th Andrew Carlisle
5th Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey
6th Edward McIlwaine, Vancouver
Judges: Callum Beaumont, Stuart Liddell, Bob Worrall

North American Gold Medal Ceol Beag Championship (14 competed)
1st Nick Hudson
2nd Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas
3rd Craig Muirhead, Glasgow
4th Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia
5th Eric Ouellette, Philadelphia
6th Andrew Carlisle
Judges: Stuart Liddell, Roddy MacDonald, Matt MacIsaac

United States Silver Medal Piobaireachd Championship (27 competed)
1st Cameron Bonar
2nd Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland
3rd Joe Biggs, Toronto
4th Jack Williamson
5th Avens Ridgeway, St. Joseph, Missouri
6th Alastair Murray, Pittsburgh
Judges: Jori Chisholm, Andrew Douglas, Fred Morrison

North American Silver Medal Ceol Beag Championship (28 competed)
1st Cameron Bonar
2nd Joseph Horwath, Saginaw, Michigan
3rd Katie Buckland, Ontario
4th Thomas Cangelosi, Arlington, Virgina
5th Joseph Stewart, Seattle
6th Bobby Durning, Carrollton, Texas
Judges: Terry Lee, Roddy MacLeod, Richard Parkes

Grade 1
Piobaireachd
1st Colin Forrest
2nd William Shropshire
3rd Abby Long
4th Malachi Johannsen
5th Joe Votta
6th Duncan Winters
Judges: Andrew Douglas, Stuart Liddell

Light Music
1st Will Shropshire
2nd Duncan Winters
3rd Colin Forrest
4th Abby Long
5th Brennan Foley
6th Joe Votta
Judges: Roddy MacLeod, Richard Parkes

Grade 2
Piobaireachd Championship
1st Mihir Zambre
2nd Grace Barnes
3rd Michael Saxer
4th John Bertino
5th John Hughes
6th Colin Swett
Judges: Callum Beaumont, Jack Lee

Light Music
1st Ian Minnear
2nd Mihir Zambre
3rd Grace Barnes
4th Evan Jamieson
5th John Bertino
6th Agustin Arguelles
Judges: Roddy MacLeod, Jack Lee

Grade 3
Piobaireachd
1st Alex Pavlovic
2nd Andrew Zhao
3rd Michael Swan
4th Logan Gorsuch
5th Courtney Schnee
6th Alexander Kinkade
Judges: Terry Lee, Bob Worrall

Light Music
1st Alex Pavlovic
2nd Andrew Zhao
3rd Hunter Nichols
4th Alexander Kinkade
5th Olivia Boydstun
6th George Smith
Judges: Matt MacIsaac, Willie McCallum

Drumming

Snare
Professional
North American Gold Medal Snare Drumming Championship
1st Blair Brown
2nd Eli Fugate
3rd Robert B. Graham Jr.
4th Derek Cooper
5th Grant Maxwell
6th Graham Brown
Judges: Hugh Cameron, Stephen Creighton

Grade 1
1st Nicholas Bowden
2nd Rita DeNobriga
3rd Cameron MacDonald
4th Antonio Amram
5th Alexandrea Bieschke
6th Matt Biggs
Judges: Reid Maxwell, Jim Sim

Grade 2
1st Jonathan Giles
2nd Jessica Frye
3rd Eric Légère
4th Henry Bautz
Judges: Reid Maxwell, Jim Sim

Grade 3
1st Samuel Giles
2nd Kevin Dill
3rd Christian Hirschey
4th Elisha Jimenez
5th Chris Hugie
6th Tate Mauzy
Judges: Reid Maxwell, Jim Sim

Bass
Gold Medal Bass Drumming Championships
1st Danielle Cooper
2nd Reagan Jones
3rd Maddison Sprague
4th Alexander Kuldell
5th Allison North
6th Chris Ross
Judges: Andrew Elliott, Christina Henry, Simon Hodgett

Amateur
1st Lindsay MacGregor
2nd John Bertino
3rd Christina Duncan
4th Gale Walker
5th Mary Thrasher
6th Andrew Bautz
Judges: Andrew Elliott, Christina Henry, Simon Hodgett

Tenor
Gold Medal Tenor Drumming Championships
1st Sam Johnson
2nd Danielle Cooper
3rd Whitney Glenn
4th Kathryn Byzewski
Judges: Andrew Elliott, Christina Henry, Simon Hodgett

Amateur
1st Mitchell Olding
2nd Kathleen Lopez
3rd Kieran Underwood
4th Alexander Kuldell
5th Lindsay MacGregor
6th Carolin Stonier
Judges: Andrew Elliott, Christina Henry, Simon Hodgett