The new term of Evening Classes begins at The National Piping Centre on 8th September. These classes are a great way to learn and develop as a piper with weekly affordable lessons.

For full details go to the Evening Class page

For the first time ever, fans across the globe will be able to experience the excitement and world class performances as Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival offers free online streaming for the first time on Friday 10^th August 2012.

Music fans worldwide will be able log onto www.pipinglive.co.uk/livestream  from 12pm – 6:30pm (GMT) and enjoy a series of events as part of the festival.  This innovative step will see the festival experienced by a larger audience than ever before.  Whether you’re a seasoned piper or new to traditional music, there is something for you:

ALL TIMES GMT:

- 12pm – Donald MacLeod: With Susan MacLeod and Friends

Donald MacLeod’s daughter Susan, alongside John Wilson and Iain MacDonald will look at the life and works of this great composer.

- 1pm – Donald MacLeod Recital – Willie McCallum

The current Donald MacLeod Competition winner will perform in recital featuring Donald’s music.

- 2pm – Piobaireachd Fingerwork – Masterclass and Book Launch

This Piobaireachd Master Class celebrates the release of Jim McGillivray’s “Piobaireachd Fingerwork” tutor. Jim will lead discussion around the pertinent issues put forth in the book. Top soloists will perform.

- 3pm – Fred Morrison Reel Pipes Pipe Idol – The Final
The 4 finalists take to the stage for Grand Final of Pipe Idol 2012!

- 5pm – Donald MacLeod: A Celebration

Hear John Wilson, formerly of Strathclyde Police and renowned solo piper perform in recital. Along with him, hear Innes Smith, the 2011 Dunvegan Medal winner and current owner of Donald’s pipes perform and trio Sutor Creek perform the music of Donald MacLeod.

Register now at www.pipinglive.co.uk/livestream

You can now download the Piping Live! 2012 Programme as a PDF file.
If you’re coming over for the festival, you can save it to your smartphone to keep the programme in your pocket even when offline!

There will be a recital at the Scots Guards Club, Haymarket, Edinburgh on Sunday 8th July by The National Piping Centre’s own Chris Armstrong. Tickets are £10 and include a curry.

Each weekday at 10am, join us in the Museum of Piping for a guided tour of the museum, history of the pipes and then you can try out piping for yourself.

This is a great way to learn more about piping and its history, and have a real Scottish Experience!

For more information go to our Museum and Heritage page

Sign up today for a National Piping Centre Seasonal School! These schools are a fun and informative week, that will improve your piping. For full details go to our Seasonal Schools page, where you can enrol online.

Come along for some great piping from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (former RSAMD) students!

Thursday 7th June

• 2:20pm – Jonathan Cheyne
• 3:20pm – Hayley McInnes
• 4:40pm – Sarah Muir

Friday 8th June

• 11:40am – Edward Seaman
• 1:40pm – Laura McMillan
• 2:40pm – Jonathan Graham
• 4:00pm – Steven Blake
• 5:00pm – Will Woodson

Free entry – National Piping Centre Auditorium.

Come and join the City of Glasgow College Ceilidh in support of Maggie’s Cancer Centres at The National Piping Centre on the 23^rd of April. There will be dancing, music and much more! Doors open at 7pm so get on your dancing shoes and participate in what should be a fandabbydozy night!  Tickets are sold at £9. For more information email shonamacdonald29@yahoo.co.uk

Glasgow will once again become the centre of the global piping scene as it hosts Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival and The World Pipe Band Championships from6^th – 12^th August 2012. Around 40,000 visitors, and 8000 pipers, drummers and performers are expected to descend on the city for the world’s biggest week of traditional music.

The events were launched today at Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow as pipers from around the world came together to provide a taster of the iconic events to the Easter holiday crowds.

Now entering its 9^th year, the Piping Live! programme showcases the experimental energy of today’s newest talent such as Niteworks and Rura, as well as the accomplishment of established musicians from around the world.  This year the festival will host performances from bands and musicians from 10 European countries including, Rotoro (Estonia), Lyra (Bulgaria), Dram (Sweden) and Franco Calanca (Italy).  The event programme also includes everything from workshops to masterclasses, ceilidhs to concerts and street performances, there are almost 150 free and ticketed events taking place morning, noon and night at venues across the city from 6-12^th August.

Says Piping Live! Piping Live’s Festival Director Roddy MacLeod: “We’ve put together a fantastic programme this year that will once again show what an energetic, eclectic and exhilarating instrument the bagpipes are. Whether you are a fan of traditional music, a newcomer to the genre, you want to pick up the pipes yourself, or you are looking for something to do with the children during the summer holidays; Piping Live! has something for everyone.”

The festival week will culminate with the incredible spectacle of The World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green on Saturday 11^th August.  Considered the single most important date in the calendar for pipe bands, this year the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Belfast, will battle it out to retain their 2011 World Champions title against bands from Scotland, America, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Ian Embelton of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association says “London may have the Olympics this year, but The Worlds has long been known as the Olympics of the pipe band world. Each year, bands from over 11 countries come to Glasgow to compete for the coveted title of World Champions, the piping equivalent of Gold.  The Worlds will be an unmissable weekend for the whole family – we have Highland Dancing, Highland Games, a massive kid’s zone and delicious local food and drink on offer.”

For full evening event line up and to book your tickets online go to the Piping Live! website