First Results from November 2011 Online Piping Competition

This year we've launched several new, ground-breaking features here at BagpipeLessons.com. In January 2011, we launched the world's first-ever online piping competition, giving pipers the chance to compete against others pipers from around the world. The competition was huge success, so we followed up with a second online competition for Spring 2011, adding more events and more world-class judges. In both competitions, pipers were judged by their competition video recordings, each competitor received a complete sheet of comments from the judges, and the prizewinning videos were posted for the world to see.

This fall, we launched a new and expanded BagpipeLessons.com Online Competition for November 2011 with even more events and another top notch judging panel. We received a new all-time record number of nearly 300 individual entries. High-quality videos were submitted by pipers for 31 different events in 11 different ability levels and age categories. Our knowledgeable and experienced judges have listened to the videos, written their comments, and the first batch of results is posted below!

One of the most popular features of our online competitions is the ability for everyone to view the winning videos, which is often difficult or impossible at live in-person competitions. In an effort to make the competition experience even more valuable for the competitors and for everyone else, we've given all of the competitors (not just the winners) the option to share their videos. In addition, many of the competitors agreed to share their comments sheets, too. We believe this is the first piping competition to publish the competitor's sheets public (with each piper's permission, of course!). The comments sheets and videos for the non-prizewinners will be posted here soon!

BagpipeLessons.com Online Competition for November 2011 - Official Results (Part #1)

(Each video below is a video playlist showing all of the prizewinners of in order. Click the "Next" button on the bottom toolbar to skip to the next video in the playlist.)

Event 24. Grade 1 - Piobaireachd
1. Nathan Wahlgren - USA
2. Nicholas Lundberg - USA
3. Sarah Simpson - Canada
4. Stephen Ross - Australia
5. Ross Wilson - Canada
Judge: Mike Cusack, Houston, USA (9 entered)


22. Grade 1 - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
1. Ernesto Góngora - Mexico
2. Graeme McCombe - Canada
3. Kyle Banta - Canada
4. Ross Wilson - Canada
Judge: Ian K. MacDonald, Toronto, Canada
(6 entered)


Event 18. Grade 2 - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
1. Patrick McLaurin - USA
2. Andrew Donlon - USA
3. Malcolm Mackellar - Australia
4. Andrew Yu, Chun Kit - Hong Kong
5. John Daggett - USA
6. Ben Gibbons - England
Judge: Danielle Millar, British Columbia, Canada (15 entered)


19. Grade 2 - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
1. Malcolm Mackellar - Australia
2. Andrew Donlon - USA
3. Patrick McLaurin - USA
4. Andrew Yu, Chun Kit - Hong Kong
5. Andrew Kerr - United Kingdon
6. John Daggett - USA
Judge: Ian K. MacDonald, Toronto, Canada (16 entered)


Event 16. Grade 3 - Piobaireachd
1. Bill Urquhart - USA
2. David Vermeulen - USA
3. Bryan Laidlaw - USA
4. J David Hester - USA
5. Marty McKeon - USA
6. John Campbell - Wales
Judge: Iain MacDonald, Regina, Canada (10 entered)


Event 15. Grade 3 - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
1. J David Hester - USA
2. Bill Urquhart - USA
3. Laureano Thomas Sanchez - USA
4. Ben Gibbons - England
5. Bryan Laidlaw - USA
6. Matthias Kuehn - Switzerland
Judge: Mike Cusack, Houston, USA (13 entered)


Event 11. Grade 4 - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
1. Tom Hyatt - USA
2. Sean Borwick - USA
3. Ally McKinnis - USA
4. Mary Thrasher - USA
5. Russell Prewitt - USA
6. David James - USA
Judge: Danielle Millar, British Columbia, Canada (15 entered)


08. Grade 5 - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
1. Carlo Musitelli - Italy
2. Peter Anderson - USA
3. Ray Morrison - USA
4. Jim Lowe - USA
5. Rena Toomey - USA
6. Rick Campbell - USA
Judge: Ian K. MacDonald, Toronto, Canada (10 entered)


06. Grade 5 - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
1. Rick Johnston - USA
2. Rick Campbell - USA
3. Rena Toomey - USA
4. Jim Lowe - USA
5. Dagmar Pesta - Germany
6. Carlo Musitelli - Italy
Judge: Mike Cusack, Houston, USA (16 entered)


Event 01. Beginner (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
1. John JT Taylor - USA
Judge: Iain MacDonald, Regina, Canada
(2 entered)


Event 31. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) - for pipers age 21 or older
1. Kyle Banta - Canada
2. John Daggett - USA
3. Sarah Forsyth - Canada
4. Sean Becker - USA
5. Nathan Wahlgren - USA
6. Ross Wilson - Canada
Judge: Iain MacDonald, Regina, Canada (16 entered)


Event 29. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) - for pipers age 15 to 17
1. Malcolm Mackellar - Australia
2. Andrew Yu, Chun Kit - Hong Kong
3. Ben Gibbons - England
Judge: Mike Cusack, Houston, USA (3 entered)


Event 28. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) - for pipers age 13 to 14
1. Laureano Thomas-Sanchez - USA
2. Ally McKinnis - USA
Judge: Danielle Millar, British Columbia, Canada (2 entered)


Congratulations to all of the prizewinners and to all of the competitors for helping us make history with the biggest and best online competition ever! Stay tuned for more results and videos coming soon...

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