Balmoral Presents Carnegie Mellon University Pipes and Drums
Pipe Band Music, Live in Pittsburgh!
Pittsburgh’s Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming is proud to present Carnegie Mellon University Pipes and Drums for the 2025 Balmoral Classic Concert. Performing live onstage beginning at 7:30pm, Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Director Andrew Carlisle leads Carnegie Mellon University Pipes and Drums, which is made up entirely of current university students and alumni. Carlisle, the professor in charge of the bagpipe major in the University’s School of Music, is a professional solo competitive bagpiper with many significant wins of prizes across Europe and North America. He also played for many years as a member of the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band, of Belfast, during which time he won dozens of championship events at the Grade 1 Pipe Band level, including multiple World Pipe Band Championship titles.
The band performs frequently at official University events and for local concerts, the most notable being their annual Saint Patrick’s Day-proximate “Celtic Connections” tour with the River City Brass. The band also travels a limited tour of the United States competition circuit consistently winning events at the Grade III level, including recent wins at the 2024 Celtic Classic (Bethlehem, PA), the 2025 Chicago Highland Games, and the 2025 American Pipe Band Championships in Norfolk; and winning the overall award for best Grade 3 band at the American Pipe Band Championships every year since the event resumed in 2022.
In August 2025, returning from their first foray across the Atlantic into the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s competition arena, the band took 2nd and 5th place wins, respectively, in the European and World Pipe Band Championships. The drum corps, under Drum Sergeant, Miles Bennington, secured first place for drumming in their competition group at the European Pipe Band Championships.
Come to surround yourself with the full sound of a top notch pipe band, Carnegie Mellon University Pipes and Drums. Take in a powerful and harmonious experience as they play marches, slow airs, dance music (strathspeys, reels, jigs), and ensemble pieces with guest dancers and musicians on guitar, bouzouki, bass, keyboard, and more.
Tickets may be purchased online at showclix.com: https://www.showclix.com/event/cmupipes-classic-concert