2026 CONTESTS – 314 ENTRIES – ORDER OF PLAY ANNOUNCED

Kansas City, Missouri – The Midwest Highland Arts Fund (MHAF) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the contestants and order of play for the January 2026 Winter Storm solo piping and drumming contests, to be held over two days. There are 314 total entries.

Thursday, January 15, 2026, will be devoted to amateur piping and drumming contests.
Friday, January 16, 2026 will be devoted to professional piping and drumming contests.

The Winter Storm piping and drumming workshop, concert, and Winter Steam are scheduled for January 17 and 18, 2026.

Many of the contests, the awards ceremony, and the concert will be live-streamed.
See Winter Storm 2026 Schedule of Events for information on contest start times and venues.

(Order of play is subject to change)

Amateur Piobaireachd Grade 1

Adjudicators – Andrew Douglas; Donald MacPhee

Alexander Walker
Luke Ashton
Steven McElhaney
Mihir Zambre
Andrew Zhao
Colin Richdale
Abigail Long
Matthew Launer
Ray Flanagan
Jacob Bowers
Logan Gorsuch
Greg Bowen
Erin Bell
Michael Saxer
Kevin Neveau
Tak Tang
Aaron Malcomb
Ian Minnear
Jack Martin
Jennifer Piccione
Evan MacKay
Flora Stone
Alex Pavlovic
John Hughes
John Bertino
Ethan DesChamps
Olivia Corcoran
Henry McCarthy

Amateur Piobaireachd Grade 2

Adjudicators – Jack Lee; Bill Caudill

Stephen Anderson
Meghan McElhinney
Bridget Englebretson
Jacob Layrock
Stella Jacoby
Ryan Behnke
Sylvia Thiessen
Agustin Arguelles
Robbie Rogers
Sheldon Birkett
Jacob Bowers
Amy Howard
Kim Greeley
Eddie Selden
Brandon Ward
Janna Freed
Brigitta Benroth

Amateur Piobaireachd Grade 3

Adjudicators – Nick Hudson; Margaret Houlihan

Daniel Paterson
Michael Braunsky
Eden Svangtun
Allison Hildebrand
Cliff Ermatinger
Olivia Boydstun
Christopher Spagnolo
Justice Peterson
Patrick Neff
Sebastião Ribeiro
Steven Coontz
Eileen Howe
Eric Poleski
Kimberly Meek
Andra Stoller
Paul Dailey
Michelle Blam
Hunter Nichols
Jonathan Gobert
Keegan Beard

Amateur Ceol Beag Grade 1

Adjudicators – Terry Lee; Bob Worrall

Evan MacKay
John Bertino
Steven McElhaney
Ethan DesChamps
Alexander Walker
Aaron Malcomb
Michael Saxer
Colin Richdale
Erin Bell
Mihir Zambre
Logan Gorsuch
Ian Minnear
Olivia Corcoran
Andrew Zhao
Abigail Long
Alex Pavlovic
Paul Mackay
Kevin Neveau
Matthew Launer
Beatrix Carter
Greg Bowen
Henry McCarthy
Flora Stone
Jack Martin
Ray Flanagan
Luke Ashton
Jennifer Piccione
John Hughes
Duncan McCorkell
Jacob Bowers

Amateur Ceol Beag Grade 2

Adjudicators – Callum Beaumont; Willie McCallum

Brandon Ward
Silas Neale
Meghan McElhinney
Jacob Bowers
Christopher Spagnolo
Janna Freed
Stella Jacoby
Jacob Layrock
Sylvia Thiessen
Sheldon Birkett
Bridget Englebretson
Tak Tang
Justice Peterson
Agustin Arguelles
Orin Weiss
Anthony St Clair
Amy Howard
Kim Greeley
Robbie Rogers
Sebastião Ribeiro
James Douglas
Ryan Behnke

Amateur Ceol Beag Grade 3

Adjudicators – Richard Parkes; Gary West

Eddie Selden
Steven Coontz
Adrian Terkelson
Eric Poleski
Eden Svangtun
Sydney Lybert
Michelle Blam
Joseph Kern
Michael Braunsky
Aidan Rito
Hunter Nichols
Paul Dailey
Keegan Beard
Nolan Schoenle
Andra Stoller
Brigitta Benroth
Peter Liu
Patrick Neff
Olivia Boydstun
Kimberly Meek
Eileen Howe
Jonathan Gobert

Amateur Ceol Beag Grade 4 

Adjudicator – Tristan Wilson

Danny Paterson II
Jessica Troester
Peter Schmidt
Daniel Paterson
Susan Martin
Linda Bomya
Brian Krouse
Brett Radcliff
Chris Layton
Jameson Cox
MIca Murdoch
Tanya Berg
Timothy Gatehouse
Timothy Hess
Linda Quanstrom
Jeffrey Farmer
Hunter Rhoades
Curt Atwell

Amateur Snare Drumming Grade 1

Adjudicators – Jake Jorgensen; Kerr McQuillan

Quinn Faith
Matt Biggs
Terrance Cadiente
Luca Damiani
Susan Shoemaker
Jayce Edetsberger
Alexandrea Bieschke
Jonathan Giles
Samuel Giles
Kevin Dill

Amateur Snare Drumming Grade 2

Adjudicators – Jake Jorgensen; Kerr McQuillan

Andrew Koupal
Eric Légère
Danielle Nauss
Tony Todero
Ken Decker
Max Fenwick
Andrew Galpin
Leilani Lucas

Amateur Snare Drumming Grade 3

Adjudicators – Jim Sim; Stephen Creighton

Jeremy Downs
David Torrance
Scarlett Jacoby
Michael Ferrara
Tate Mauzy
Andrew Keppel
Kyle Womelduff
Rohan Patel
Ryan Seigmiller
Brenden Good
Aarya Madan
Sebastian Allen

Amateur Tenor Drumming

Adjudicators – Christina Henry; Owen Russell

Phoebe Morris
Caitlyn Skinner
Felisha Gomez
Allison Hildebrand
Eric Légère
Cori Kirkland
Marielle Webster
Sophia Jantzen

Amateur Bass Drumming

Adjudicators – Christina Henry; Owen Russell

Sean Stewart
Stuart Baker
Lauren Lane
Steven Shoemaker
Liam Baird
Andrew Koupal
Isla Ross
Timothy Harjus
Shawn Tobin
Marie Rude

Gold Medal Piobaireachd 

Adjudicators – Bob Worrall; Donald MacPhee; Bill Caudill

Matt Pantaleoni
Edward McIlwaine
Blaise Theriault
Alastair Lee
Joe Biggs
Michael Rogers
Derek Midgley
Cameron Bonar
Angus MacPhee
Cameron Macdougall
Zephan Knichel
Andrew Donlon
Andrew Lewis
Ben McClamrock

Gold Medal Ceol Beag

Adjudicators – Gary West; Richard Parkes; Callum Beaumont

Alastair Lee
Cameron Bonar
Ben McClamrock
Cameron Macdougall
Derek Midgley
Austin Diepenhorst
Andrew Donlon
Ryan Praskovich
Jack Williamson
Joe Biggs
Angus MacPhee

Silver Medal Piobaireachd

Adjudicators – Willie McCallum; Nick Hudson; Jack Lee

Bill Peters
Justin Howland
Jamie Cuthill
Thomas Cangelosi
Gillian Blaney
Colin Forrest
Joseph Stewart
David McNally
Connor Eckert
Dan Lyden
Ryan Praskovich
Aidan Bowen
Teddy Krogh
Malachi Johannsen
Zak Read
Mark Elliott
Mary Wallace
George Gerules
Ross Barker
Jack Williamson
William Shropshire
Kayleigh Johnstone
Bobby Durning
Micah Babinski
Austin Diepenhorst
Peter Skae
Hugh Dowell
Magnus Stone
Alastair Murray

Silver Medal Ceol Beag

Adjudicators – Terry Lee; Margaret Houlihan; Andrew Douglas

Mary Wallace
Magnus Stone
Hugh Dowell
Andrew Lewis
Andrew Hutton
Gillian Blaney
Connor Eckert
Colin Forrest
Thomas Cangelosi
Gerules George
William Shropshire
Micah Babinski
Ross Barker
Malachi Johannsen
Edward McIlwaine
Teddy Krogh
Zephan Knichel
Michael Rogers
Matt Pantaleoni
Blaise Theriault
David McNally
Mark Elliott
Dan Lyden
Zak Read
Brennan Foley
Alastair Murray
Joseph Stewart
Aidan Bowen
Kayleigh Johnstone
Bobby Durning
Justin Howland
Bill Peters
Peter Skae

Gold Medal Snare Drumming

Adjudicators – Stephen Creighton; Jake Jorgenson; Kerr McQuillan

Nicholas Bowden
Jeremy White
Robert Graham
Sloan Pierce
Blair Brown
Alexander Kuldell
Graham Brown
Tommi McAndrew
Matt Page
Sebastian Arguelles
Mark McKendrick
Amanda Colwell
Malcolm Fuller

Gold Medal Tenor Drumming

Adjudicators – Christina Henry; Owen Russell

Alexis Hagen
Katie Byzewski
Carolin Stonier
Iris Fugate
Harry Justice
Taylor Page
Whitney Glenn
Elise Svangtun

Gold Medal Bass Drumming

Adjudicators – Christina Henry; Owen Russell

Michael Keppel
Eric Légère
Alexander Kuldell
Terrance Cadiente
Joanne Sherry