SOLO PIPING COMPETITION

Bobby started learning the Great Highland Bagpipes at the age of eight. He was taught for two years by a local pipe band in Bridge, NJ before being taught by Pipe Major George M. Bell of Parlin, NJ for eight years. He competed in amateur solo piping contests at many different Highland Games across the eastern USA starting at the age of eleven. Before being promoted into the professional solo competition level at the age of 18, he won the two top amateur solo piping contests in the world; the George Sheriff Memorial Invitational in Toronto, Canada and the Nicol-Brown Invitational in Albany, NY.

At the professional piping level, Bobby won the Strathspey & Reel competition at the North American Championships at the Glengarry Highland Games in August 2015. He won the Piobaireachd Society (Canada) Gold Medal in 2022, also at the Glengarry Highland Games - one of the top piobaireachd prizes in North America.

Bobby travels to Scotland annually to compete at the two top exclusive solo piping competitions in the world: the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, and the Northern Meeting in Inverness. He is currently competing at the Silver Medal level; he placed 5th in the Northern Meeting Silver Medal in 2022, and 4th in 2023 in the same contest. 

Bobby also played with three top-tier pipe bands. He was a member of the Grade 1 City of Washington Pipe Band from 2008–2010. During that time, he performed with City of Washington at the 2010 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland; he also performed at the White House with CoW for the Presedential St. Patrick’s Day Gala in March 2010. He was a member of the Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band for two years and performed with them at Fenway Park in collaboration with the Massachusetts State Police Pipe Band to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Boston bombing in April 2014. 

“I spent my teenage years going to many different Highland Games on the weekends. As a piping competitor, I was a beneficiary of countless volunteer hours of hard work put in behind the scenes by Highland Games committees and piping & drumming directors. 

Now, I’ll get to experience the other side. I’m so thrilled to be joining the Highland Arts & Athletics festival planning committee in a volunteer capacity as their Director of Piping & Drumming! We will be collaborating to bring a high-quality EUSPBA-sanctioned amateur solo piping & drumming contest to the Lone Star  Celtic Festival and Highland Games in McKinney, Texas on April 20 - 21, 2024. We look forward to welcoming amateur solo competitors from all over the USA! "

See you in April!