Píobaire bios
Formed in August 2009, Píobaire (Gaelic for piper, pronounced pee-bar-uh) is a trio featuring Alasdair Gillies, the world champion Scottish piper with more wins than anyone in recent history; Bruce Foley, one of the most respected traditional Irish musicians in the US; and Les Getchell, the world’s least-known bodhrán master.
Alasdair Gillies — Highland pipes, smallpipes
Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies has had an astounding number of successes at piping competitions, winning more Highland bagpiping championships than anyone in recent history. Alasdair won every event he entered at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in 1986. He won the Inverness Former Winners MSR 11 times between 1986 to 2005, more than anyone previously. And in 2002, he won the Glenfiddich Championship MSR for the sixth time. No wonder the readers of Piper & Drummer magazine named Alasdair as the best piper of the 20th century. Alasdair is also in demand as a teacher and piping competition judge. For more than twelve years, he has been head of the piping program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And he formerly served 17 years as piper and Pipe Major with the Queen’s Own Highlanders, preparing recruits to be regimental pipers. He is also a member of the Spirit of Scotland, an all star Grade 1 pipe band comprised of the world’s top solo players for competing at the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships, and featured in the documentary On the Day. Alasdair is represented by Music Tree Artist Management.
Bruce Foley — uilleann pipes (Irish elbow pipes), low whistle, guitar, vocals, other instruments
A gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist, Bruce is regarded by many to be one of the most accomplished in the US. Bruce has performed with The Irish Tradition, James Kelly, Paddy Reilly, Tommy Sands (recently in front of 20,000 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden), Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, and regularly with Pittsburgh-based Irish bands Guaranteed Irish and Hooley. Bruce also performs solo and periodically joins with other Pittsburgh-based Irish vocalists such as Mark Dignam and Mike Gallagher. The resident expert on uilleann pipes, Bruce has twice hosted the East Coast Tionol (annual gathering of pipers). Bruce is frequently in demand for recording sessions.
Les Getchell — bodhrán (Irish frame drum), bones, other percussion
One of the most highly regarded traditional Irish and Scottish percussion players around, Les has studied and played with the best. Les has taught bodhrán at music camps Ashokan Northern Week in Saugerties, New York and Augusta Irish Week in Elkins, West Virginia. A regular member of Pittsburgh-based traditional Irish band Hooley since 1995, Les also subs for several other Pittsburgh-based traditional and contemporary Irish and Scottish bands, including Callán, Matthew Craig and the Kerry Tipper Band, Cue Ball, and Molly in the Crowd. When not playing Irish or Scottish, Les occasionally plays blues, Brazilian, and West African percussion.