Terry Tully
(Piping at Edinboro) As the Pipe Major, Terry Tully over the years led the St. Laurence O’Toole of Dublin, Ireland to many of the top pipe band Championships in both Ireland and Scotland, culminating in 2010 when the band won the Grade One World Championship in Glasgow, the first in history for a pipe band from the Republic of Ireland. In the same year he led the band to win the European and All-Ireland Championships. Born in 1956, he first became interested in the pipes from hearing his father Tommy play them in the house. He was an award-winning solo piper, joining the band in 1973, becoming Pipe Sergeant in 1980 and Pipe Major in 1984. Terry Tully has authored several widely acclaimed books of traditional Irish Music arranged for the Highland bagpipe, and his name has become virtually synonymous with traditional Irish Music in the world of bagpipes. His son Alen Tully is currently the third generation of Tully’s serving as Pipe Majors of the band.
Bruce Gandy
(Piping at Kutztown) Bruce Gandy established himself as a top solo and band competitor as a member of the 1987 World Champion 78th Fraser Highlanders. A composer of note, his tunes are played by many top bands. Gandy moved to Prince Edward Island to became Head Piping Instructor at the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts, and later took the position of Piping Instructor at the Halifax Citadel. For the past 20 years, Bruce has been a dominant player on the World scene, winning the Gold Medals for Piobaireachd at The Northern Meeting (Inverness) and the Argyllshire Gathering (Oban), the Bratach Gorm in London, The Silver Star for Former Winners MSR, and 2nd prize winner at the Glenfiddich Championships. Bruce has published four books of music, produced online workshops that reach around the world, developed his own pipe chanter with McCallum Bagpipes and is in regular demand as a tutor and performer.
Roddy MacLeod
(Piping at Edinboro) Roddy MacLeod, MBE, of Glasgow, Scotland, served as Principal of The National Piping Centre in Scotland from 1996 -2020. In 2003, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in recognition of his services to piping and, in 2004, was awarded the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for Music. In 2012 he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Awards Hall of Fame. In 2019 MacLeod was honored by the City of Glasgow and awarded the Lord Provost’s award for services to music. MacLeod won his first Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in 1986, the Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal in 1988. He is a 10-time winner of the Piobaireachd at the Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championship and has won the overall title five times. While Pipe Major of the Scottish Power Pipe Band, he led it to over 45 Grade 1 Championship prizes including the Cowal Championships and All Ireland Championships.
Andrew Carlisle
(Piping at Kutztown) One of the world’s leading solo pipers, Andrew Carlisle has won: The Gillies Cup for Piobaireachd at London, the A Grade Strathspey and Reel at The Argyllshire Gathering, Oban, the A Grade Piobaireachd and overall at The Cowal Highland Gathering, Dunoon, the US Gold Medals for both Piobaireachd and Light Music, Four US Piping Foundation Championships. On three occasions, he's won the Macallan Trophy at Lorient, Brittany, France, and has won three All-Ireland titles at Senior level, three second places at the Royal Braemar Gathering, and two fourth places in the Highland Society of London Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness. For 18 years, Andrew has been an active member of the world renowned Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, sharing in the success of over 45 major championship wins, including nine World Pipe Band Championships. He has been featured as a soloist on the band’s ‘Re:Charged’ and ‘Impact’ albums. Andrew has performed in 20 countries, across five continents; most notably at The White House in 2008.
Derek Midgley
(Piping at Kutztown) Derek Midgley is a fulltime piping instructor based in New Jersey, where he works to improve the piping community along the east coast of the US. For four years, he lived in Glasgow, Scotland, and has won numerous piping awards in the UK. Some of his prizes include B Marches and Silver Medal at Northern Meetings, Inverness; 2nd, Highland Society of London Gold Medal at Argyllshire Gathering, Oban; Dunvegan Medal, 6/8 Marches, 2/4 Marches at Skye Games, Dunvegan; Ram’s Head Snuff Mull, A Grade Piobaireachd, Strachan Memorial Trophy, A Grade MSR, Donald Forbes Medal at the Scottish Piping Society, London; Overall Winner at the United States Piping Foundation Championship, Baltimore; Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal, Bar to Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal at the Glengarry Highland Games, Maxville (Canada); Piobaireachd at The Metro Cup (USA).
Miles Bennington
(Piping at Edinboro) As a band member and soloist, Miles Bennington’s prizes include North American Champion, Canadian Champion, U.S. Champion, EUSPBA Champion, PPBSO Champion Supreme, top ten at the World Pipe Band Championships, and semifinalist at the World Solo Drumming Championships. He is currently a member of the Grade 1 St. Thomas Alumni Pipe Band from Houston, TX. Additionally, Miles has instructed several prize-winning drum corps throughout the northeast and midwest United States. When not traveling for competition or rehearsal, Miles serves as the principal drumming instructor for the Carnegie Mellon University Pipe Band who, under his guidance, have quickly become one of the premier drumming programs in the eastern United States.
Sean Patrick Regan
Sean Patrick Regan is the Pipe Band Director at Edinboro University and a professional solo piping competitor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and earned Summa Cum Laude with the Great Highland Bagpipe as the primary instrument. Sean took up Highland Dance when he was 4, the bagpipe at the age of 8, and Scottish snare, tenor, and bass at 12, when he also began teaching and performing on the bagpipe. He has won prizes in Piobaireachd and in Light Music in Open competition, has won Piper of the Day in the Open grade at numerous events throughout the EUSPBA, and is a former winner of grade 1 overall award at the United States Piping Foundation and the World Online Piping and Drumming Championships. Sean has piped in bands of every grade level and played snare in bands through grade 3. He serves as band instructor and Pipe Major of the Balmoral Pipes & Drums. Sean also performs with The Rogues, “America’s Celtic Band,” piping at concerts, festivals, and other events throughout the year
Richmond Johnston
(Piping at Winter Workshop) Staff Instructor Richmond Johnston became a school administrator shortly after his first summer at Balmoral in 1991, later becoming a piping teacher and member of the Balmoral Board of Directors. During his years at Balmoral, he was able to study with many piping greats, including Alasdair Gillies, Norman Gillies, Jack Lee, James MacColl, John MacDoughall, Iain MacLellan, Jimmy McIntosh, Gordon Mooney, Iain Morrison, Donald McPhee, Nancy Tunnicliffe and John Wilson. An experienced solo piper, he competes with Award-Winning Catamount Pipe Band of Vermont. A number of his students have become award-winning pipers. A late starter himself, he enjoys teaching adult beginners. When not teaching at Balmoral, Richmond teaches in person from his home in High Falls, NY, and online via Zoom.
Ian McLeod
Balmoral Pipes & Drums drumming instructor, Ian McLeod, started playing when he was 10 years old, and began teaching at age 15. He’s currently had 22 years’ experience playing drums, and 17 years teaching. From the time of his first drumming competition, Ian took a mere four years to advance to Grade One. In 2006, Ian was Drum Sergeant for the Balmoral Highlanders when they took 3rd at the prestigious competition at the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville, Ontario, and is featured on one of the band’s albums. McLeod also performed with the Grade One Windsor Police Pipe Band, of Windsor, Ontario, and in 2007, traveled to Scotland to play in World’s Pipe Band Championships. Here in the city of Pittsburgh, Ian has written scores for Balmoral Pipes & Drums, and has taught drumming to members of Pittsburgh’s Macdonald Pipe Band. He performed with preeminent Celtic band, The Chieftains, on their Irish Goodbye tour.