The 43rd Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Contest will be held at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland, hosted in partnership with the Institute of Musical Traditions. The Nicol-Brown weekend will begin with a judges’ recital on Friday evening October 9, followed by the contest and award ceremony on Saturday, October 10.

The judging panel for 2026: Craig Sutherland Pitt Meadows, British Columbia and Skip Cleavinger, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

In August and September 2026, 10 Amateur grade one piping competitors were selected for invitations, based on their results at major amateur solo events throughout the season ( Winter Storm, B.C. Indoor, Chicago Scottish Festival, the US Piping Foundation, Maxville etc.) including seasonal standings compiled by EUSPBA and other piping Associations throughout North America. All competitors must be ranked at the highest level of amateur piping in both Piobaireachd and Light Music by their home Associations.

Congratulations to the 10 competitors from across North America:

• Luke Baltrusaitis Waterloo, Ontario
• Greg Bowen Waterloo, Ontario
• Olivia Corcoran Gaithersburg, Maryland
• Logan Gorsuch Auburn, California
• Liam Horne Wise,Virginia
• Abby Long Houston, Texas
• Jack Martin Pender Island, British Columbia
• Hazen Metro, Williamstown, Vermont
• Colin Richdale Coquitlam, British Columbia
• Brady Webb Westville, Nova Scotia

The Nicol-Brown has a long history of strengthening bonds with the piping community in the US, Canada, and Scotland, through connections made before, during, and after the contest. Long may that priority continue.

Colin Richdale

Colin is 19 years old and began piping at the age of seven. He played in the White Spot Pipe Band growing up and is now an instructor with the band. He has taken lessons from Hal Senyk since he was nine. He has played with the Grade 2 Cascadia Pipe Band for the past two seasons, competing at the World Pipe Band Championships in 2025 and 2026. Colin won the 2026 BCPA Grade 1 Grand Aggregate and Grade 1 Piobaireachd Grand Aggregate, earning solo prizes across British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Additionally, he was the runner-up at the 2025 Nicol-Brown Invitational; earned 3rd place in the Grade 1 MSR at Kansas City Winter Storm 2026; competed at Pipe Idol 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland; and was the Grade 1 Aggregate champion at the Victoria, Portland, British Columbia, and Penticton Highland Games in 2026. Outside of piping, Colin studies Political Science at college and works part-time as a sales associate.

Jack Martin

Jack has been playing bagpipes for the last decade under several bands and instructors, and has recently been accepted as a competing member of the SFU Pipe Band. He is an accomplished soloist, composer, winning multiple prizes across the West Coast, and is very passionate about other traditional instruments, like Scottish small pipes. He has even worked hard as a small pipe instrument and reed maker. Born and Raised in BC, Jack currently lives in the Southern Gulf islands, where he works as a certified forklift operator, First Responder, and Fire Fighter. 

Awards:

• Peter Henderson bagpipes with holly mounts and engraved nickel ferrules, slides, and ring caps to be presented to the piper awarded second place in the 2026 Nicol-Brown Piobaireachd event as a gift from The Phyllis and Martin Dow Memorial Education trust.
• The 2026 6/8 March Champion will receive the Donald MacLeod Memorial Sterling silver belt buckle, created and donated by Stephen Walker of Walker Metalsmiths.
• Overall Champion to receive the Nicol-Brown targe
• MSR Champion to receive a custom-engraved Kintyre Practice Chanter from McCallum Bagpipers, donated by the Piper’s Dojo.
• Piobaireachd Champion to receive the Nicol-Brown Chalice.

On behalf of the BC Pipers’ Association we send our warmest congratulations and best wishes to Colin and Jack on their well-earned invitation to the Nicol-Brown Invitational Competition. We are incredibly proud to see our Amateur players representing the BCPA at these wonderful events. We wish them great tunes, safe travels, lifelong memories, and friendships that will last well beyond these competitions.