Roddy MacLeod MBE

Roddy MacLeod MBE is the Principal of The National Piping Centre. One of the world’s most accomplished competitive solo pipers, Roddy was tutored by piper and composer Duncan Johnstone and has won all of solo piping’s most coveted awards, many of them several times over. He is in keen international demand as a recitalist, judge and instructor. He was Pipe Major of the World renowned Grade 1 ScottishPower Pipe Band from 1995 – 2005 during which time he led them to over 45 Grade 1 Championship prizes in major competition including the Cowal Championships and the All-Ireland Championship. In 2008 he led the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band to the final of Grade 1 at the World Pipe Band Championships after bringing together a group of the worlds top solo pipers and drummers together for a short period of intensive practice. With a strong background in teaching, a dedication to the promotion of standards within piping and a zeal to widen popular appreciation of the pipes, he exemplifies the role, task and standing of The National Piping Centre. Roddy is also a Director and a Founder of Piping Live!, the Glasgow International Piping Festival.

Achievements Include:

• Awarded MBE for Services to Piping 2003;
• Winner of the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for Music 2004;
• Winner, Kishmul Banner composition competition;

Solo competition prizes include:

• Glenfiddich Piping Championship, overall winner (4 times), MSR winner (twice), Piobaireachd winner (8 times);
• Northern Meetings, Inverness – Highland Society of London Gold Medal, Bicentenary Gold Medal and Clasp (2), Former Winners MSR;
• Argyllshire Gatherings, Oban – Highland Society of London Gold Medal, Senior Piobaireachd (2), Former Winners MSR (2), and Open Jigs;
• Bratach Gorm (5 times);
• Silver Chanter (6 times);
• Gillies Cup Open Piobaireachd, London (9 times);
• London Medallion Former Winners MSR (5 times);
• Scottish Piping Society of London overall champion (7 times);
• National Mod overall champion (5 times);
• Uist and Barra overall winner (5 times);
• Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition overall winner (2 times);
• Springbank Invitational Overall Winner;
• Dunvegan Medal;
• Dunvegan Colonel Jock MacDonald Clasp (4 times);
• Dr Allan MacDonald Cup for overall winner at Skye (3 times);
• Highland Society of London Gold Medal, overall winner (Skye) (3 times);
• Dr Dan Reid Invitational overall winner (3 times);
• G.S McLennan Invitational overall winner;
• Scottish Pipers Association overall winner (4 times);
• Scottish Pipers Association Piping Times Knockout winner;
• Highlands and Islands Festival Invitational Piobaireachd winner (4 times);
• Clan Donald Quaich winner;
• Lochaber Tuagh Or Invitational Piobaireachd winner (3 times);
• Haddo House Quaich Invitational winner;
• Scotway Garden Festival 20th Century Piobaireachd winner;
• Scotway Lord Provost of Glasgow’s Competition MSR (3 times);

Recordings include:

• World’s Greatest Pipers, Volume 6;
• Pipers of Distinction series (KRL);
• Piping Centre Recital Series;
• RSPS “The Last Piper”;
• Hebridean Piper video.
• Roddy MacLeod MBE Piobaireachd Volume 1

Stuart Samson MBE

Captain (Retired) Stuart D Samson MBE

Stuart Samson was born in Laurencekirk and has been playing the pipes since the age of 8. He enlisted into the Army in 1978, as a junior piper and joined the Drums and Pipes of The Gordon Highlanders in 1980. He was appointed Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders from 1990 – 1994 and then went on to carry out several Pipe Major appointments including the Pipe Major of the Highlanders and the Warrant Officer Class One Senior Pipe Major at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming. He was commissioned in 2002 and was appointed the Director of the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming in April 2003. He was responsible for providing all the structured musical training for pipers and drummers in the British Army as well as advising the Higher Command and Commanding Officers regarding Pipe Band matters. During this time he was also responsible as the Director of Army Bagpipe Music, for coordinating the musical programme and display for the Massed Pipes and Drums at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He has considerable experience in this field having first performed in the Tattoo in 1979 and many times thereafter as a piper and Pipe Major. Stuart has also been successful on the solo piping circuit over the years, winning the Silver Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering in 1988 and being placed second in the Gold Medal in both Inverness and Oban in 1995 and 1998 respectively, gaining an invitation to the Glenfiddich Championships in 1998. Stuart completed his Army service in April 2008 having served 30 years and was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June this year in recognition for services to Army Piping and a distinguished career. Stuart is currently a part time Instructor at the National Piping Centre teaching on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland BA Scottish Music – Piping Degree. In addition to this Stuart is also the Director of Music for the Massed Pipes and Drums at the Basel Tattoo in Switzerland, which takes place annually in July and The Berlin Tattoo in Germany which takes place in November.

Stuart Samson is not available for lessons.

Matt MacIsaac

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Matt was exposed to and surrounded by piping at a very early age.
Starting formal lessons at the age of 10 he quickly became a dominant competitor in both amateur and professional events, winning consistently. He was fortunate to have had crucial foundation lessons with Dr. Angus MacDonald, John Walsh, and Scott MacAulay amongst others. He became the first Canadian to win both Under 17 events at Cowal, the MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd contest and the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Medal at the age of 18.

In October of 2001 he joined fiddler Natalie MacMaster’s band, and toured the world with her for 8 years. During that time he got to see, hear and play with some world-class musicians like Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Edgar Meyer, Carlos Nunez, Don Henley, Chris Thile. Matt also recorded the aptly named “The Piping Album” in 2005 and has appeared on several of Natalie’s recordings.

After serving in the Canadian Forces with the Royal Canadian Air Force Band from 2009-2013, Matt is now back with Natalie MacMaster on pipes, whistles, banjo and guitar.

Jon Quigg

In 1973 at the age of 13, Jon Quigg began his drumming career in the Annapolis Juvenile Pipe Band. While his influences are many, he counts as his primary inspiration the likes of John Bosworth, and Alex Duthart. In 1976, he moved into the professional solo competitor ranks and into the Grade 2 Denny and Dunipace Pipe Band of Washington, DC, now known as the City of Washington Pipe Band (CoW). While “the Denny band” has always been home, over the years he has guested with a number of groups around the world, including bands in Monterey, San Francisco, Honolulu, Tokyo and Vancouver. In 1989, he assumed the Drum Sergeant position and helped them garner numerous North American contest wins, culminating in their winning performance at the 1999 World Pipe Band Championships. That year he led the corps to winning the Grade 2 drum corps prize while the band also won the overall band title. At the end of that season, the band’s performance in the Kennedy Center Honors for Sean Connery’s induction rounded out what was truly a banner year.

In addition to his successful pipe band competition career – which includes the 2009 and 2010 winning performances in the Kansas City Winter Storm drum salute contest with the CoW drumline – he has taken part in recording projects and drumming clinics around the globe. Currently he is taking time to indulge his interests in the more mainstream rudimental drumming universes of Drum and Bugle Corps and Fife and Drum Corps, as well as to work on a book that will present Scottish drumming to these wider audiences. He lives north of Baltimore, Maryland with his wife, Beth.

**Instructors may vary due to unforeseen circumstances**