The BC Pipers’ Association is proud to announce that the 2023 Boney Music Memorial Invitational Competition and Recital is back this year, live, on Saturday, February 11th, and everyone is invited. Let us introduce you to the reigning Boney Invitational 1st place winner and returning participant Zephan Knichel.

Zephan has been a grade one band player since 2003. He formerly played with Alberta Caledonia and is currently in his ninth season with the SFU Pipe Band. Zephan is an active solo competitor in North America and Scotland. In 2022 Zephan won the Boney Invitational and was the runner up for the BCPA Open Piping Grand Aggregate Award. In Scotland this past summer Zephan made the prize list in several competitions, was the Champion Piper at the Crieff Highland Gathering and won the “B” grade Hornpipe/Jig at the Northern Meeting in Inverness. 

Zephan is a full time bagpipe instructor. He was an instructor with the RMM organization for 7 seasons and continues to lend a hand when he is in town. Zephan is a regular instructor at the Piping Hot Summer Drummer schools. He is currently in the midst of moving to Hawaii with his wife Samantha. He has been back and forth quite a bit over the past year and a half. Once his visa comes through Zephan will be joining his wife and will be establishing a US based teaching business.