Teachers

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. In 2016 the Spirit of Scotland reformed with Roddy at the helm once more, with lead drummer Jim Kilpatrick. They competed at all 5 major championships, winning prizes at British, UK and European Championships, and qualifed for the final of the World Pipe Band Championships, finishing 8th overall.

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;
• Inducted into the Traditional Music Awards Hall of Fame 2012

• Glenfiddich Piping Championship, overall winner (5 times), MSR winner (twice), Piobaireachd winner (10 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 (7 times);
• Silver Chanter (7 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 (3 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 (twice);
• 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);

• 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

Willie McCallum

Willie is a native of Campbeltown, where he learned piping primarily from his uncles Ronald and Hugh and P/M Ronald McCallum, Piper to the Duke of Argyll.  His roots go right back to the early days of piping competition and his 4 times great grandfather, John MacAlister, won the Prize Pipe in 1782.

Some notable career wins are the Gold Medals at Inverness and Oban, Senior Piobaireachd Oban (3), Bratach Gorm (4), Silver Chanter (3), Former Winners MSR Oban (5), Former Winners MSR Inverness (4), P/M Donald MacLeod Memorial (9), Springbank Invitational (9), Dan Reid Memorial (7), Donald MacDonald Quaich (3), Former Winners MSR London (5).

He runs his own piping business, Willie McCallum Piping, which involves teaching, as well as selling bagpipes, being consultant to bagpipe maker McCallum Bagpipes Ltd, in Kilmarnock and similarly involved at Bannatyne Ltd, Pipe Bag maker, working on developing bags and moisture control devices.

His teaching career started in the early 1990s and since then he has been involved in teaching several champion pipers who have won Silver Medals, Gold Medals, Former Winners MSR, Clasps and the Silver Chanter.

Willie lives in Bearsden with his wife Christine and has two children, Hailey and Scott.

Matt MacIsaac is from Nova Scotia, Canada and has been playing, teaching and performing on the pipes for over 25 years.  A member of the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, Matt is a Silver Medallist at Oban, and a full time professional musician on pipes, whistles and guitar.  Matt is also a sergeant in the Royal Canadian Air Force and is Pipe Major of the 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron Pipe Band, a competitive grade 2 pipe band in Ontario, Canada where he currently lives with his wife and 3 year old son.

From Cardenden, Fife, his father taught him to play the pipes and at a young age, he played with the world famous Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band, winning all major championships in Grade 1. He also he served an apprenticeship as a bagpipe maker at Inveran House. In 1978, he enlisted in the Scots Guards, British Army and four years later, he passed his pipe majors course at the Army School of Piping at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. After serving in the Falklands War, he was posted to the Army School of Piping as an instructor for three years. In 1998, he became Pipe Major at the Army training regiment (Glencorse). Eventually the military centralized all Army piping and drumming, and he served 22 years at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming in Edinburgh. Throughout his military career, he has become one of the most renowned pipers in the British Army and has received numerous awards. Today, he is principal pipe maker at Inveran Bagpipe Makers, and continues to teach and compete at a high level.

Andrew Donlon of Washington, DC is one of the United States' up and coming competitive pipers. Receiving many years of early tuition from Chris Hamilton, Donlon has been a student of Willie McCallum since 2012.
As a bandsman, Andrew was a member of the New York Metro Pipe Band in 2013 and 2014, earning as high as 3rd place at the World Pipe Band Championships in 2013. 2014 saw Andrew return to his hometown MacMillan Pipe Band, becoming Pipe Major in 2015, leading the band to an undefeated season and the title of North American Champions in Grade 3. 2016 saw MacMillan succeeding in Grade 2, winning the drumming at Maxville, and saw Donlon join the reformed Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, playing in the Grade One Final of the World Pipe Band Championships.
In the solo realm, Andrew was promoted to the professional ranks by the EUSPBA for the 2014 season, and has been steadily taking prizes since. Some prizes of note include the 2015 United States Silver Medal at Kansas City, the 2016 Piobaireachd Conference and the 2016 B-Grade Overall at the London competition.
Outside of competitive piping, Andrew works for a congressman in Washington, D.C. and keeps a sizeable group of piping students who compete at various levels.