Piping Live! returns this summer with an exciting showcase that blends the traditional and the experimental. A unique avant-garde night of piping on Monday, August 8, will feature the USA ensemble Blarvuster alongside Skye’s Malin Makes Music.
This groundbreaking concert will host an eclectic mix of talent to showcase the ‘Ceol Nua’ – or ‘new music’ – style that has been developed by internationally acclaimed bagpiper and composer Dr Matthew Welch of the unique ensemble Blarvuster.
Formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2002, and now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Blarvuster is an ensemble dedicated to Matthew Welch’s radically unique bagpipe compositions. Blarvuster’s sound merges Scottish bagpipes, Balinese gamelan, minimalism, improvisation and rock. The trio – Matthew Welch (bagpipes), Aaron Germain (bass) and Jordan Glenn (drums) – combine skill sets in rock, jazz, classical, opera and global music. From pop tunes to long form minimalist grooves, flourished with improvisation, to evening-length operas, Blarvuster’s infectious repertoire makes a sound like no other.
Sharing the bill for this unique night of music is Malin Makes Music, the stage name of composer, musical director, bagpipe and fiddle player Malin Lewis. Malin also plays a set of unique self-made two octave smallpipes that are opening up new possibilities for piping. A 2022 Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist, Malin has grown-up being immersed in Scottish traditional music and he explores these traditions in fresh and unique ways with his rhythms and melodies. Malin has studied folk music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki learning the tradition of the extinct Finnish bagpipes.
Finlay MacDonald, Artistic Director for Piping Live!, said: “We are delighted to showcase the work of musicians who are re-defining the music of tomorrow. We are looking forward to welcoming artists from across the world who are renowned for their interpretations of both traditional and ‘ceol nua’ forms of piping.”
The world’s biggest piping festival celebrates its return to the full in-person programme for the first time since 2019, offering a blended showcase of in-person gigs and online events, so both local and international audiences can enjoy the array of world-class performances.
Now in its 19th year, the festival annually attracts over 30,000 attendees to Glasgow. The Piping Live! team, with thanks to their funding supporters Glasgow Life and EventScotland, have put together an eclectic and varied programme, including world-class performances, music sessions, recitals, talks, competitions, book launches, workshops and so much more.
More information on this year’s programme and tickets are available here www.pipinglive.co.uk
