The Clan Donald Trust for the Gaelic Performing Arts and

The Robert Burns Society of Charleston

Were proud to Present

2024 Scottish Performing Arts Classic

 The ancient MacDonald Lords of the Isles saw it as their responsibility to support, encourage, and develop the Gaelic culture in all its forms. The Lords of the Isles built churches, supported monasteries, were patrons of dancing, clarsach playing, poetry and, of course, piping.  For more than thirty years, the Clan Donald Trust for the Gaelic Performing Arts (CDT), in the name of great Clan Donald, has been honored to carry on this important responsibility.

 The Robert Burns Society of Charleston was pleased to partner with CDT to bring to Charleston

three of these important Scottish Performing Arts competitions:

The Princess Margaret of the Isles Memorial Prize for Senior Clarsach (Harp)

The Dan R MacDonald Memorial Prize for Senior Fiddle

and The Joseph MacDonald Memorial Prize for Piobaireachd (Scottish bagpipe). 

These three competitions were conducted on May 31 and June 1, 2024,

at South Carolina Society Hall in Charleston, South Carolina.

2024 Finalist

Clarsach (Celtic Harp)

Haley Hewitt

Haley Hewitt is a Boston-based performer, composer, arranger, educator, and harpist. Steeped in music from North America, Scotland and Ireland, her music has a distinctly traditional flavor. With a Bachelor’s Degree from the Hartt School of Music in pedal harp performance and a Master’s Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Scottish Traditional Music, she has founded Celtic Harp departments at Quinnipiac University and the Neighborhood Music School. She won the New England Open Scottish Harp Competition in 2006 and the US National Scottish Harp Championship in 2013.

Jo Morrison

Jo Morrison is known for evocative performances of beautiful music on the harp; her patient and gentle teaching style for all levels in workshops and lessons; and her informed, impartial, and empathetic judging in Scottish Harp and other traditional music competitions. She was named a Scottish Harp Society Distinguished Judge in 2015, one of only five in the USA. Jo looks at performances as a chance to share gorgeous and exciting melodies, as well as their stories, with others. Among many other styles, her playing includes her arrangements of traditional Scottish airs, medieval chants, and her own melodic creations. Her musical sensitivity touches the soul and lifts the body into movement.

Jen Narkevicius

Jen is a professional harper focusing on teaching, performing and arranging traditional music. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Florida, with master’s degrees in Systems Engineering, Adult Development Psychology and Special Education: Gifted and Talented. Her teaching is creative and innovative as she mixes techniques as needed to reach each student where they are at each interaction. She is Co-Director of the annual Harp Quest and Director of the Harp Program at the Ohio Scottish Arts School. Jen is the Competition Committee Chair and Scottish Harp Society of America judge.

Abbie Palmer

Abbie Palmer is a multi-genre musician, composer, recording artist, music therapist, teacher, meditation facilitator, and music director. With roots in World music, Classical training, and a contemporary writing style, Abbie brings an eclectic and eccentric flavor to any stage. She is most known for her unique percussive style of playing on the harp as well as her gentle and sometimes haunting singing voice. Abbie musical roots began in Celtic music and was on stage performing on harp at the Maryland Renaissance Festival starting at childhood. Abbie went on to focus on Classical music in college and received a dual degree in Classical harp performance, gaining skills and knowledge as an orchestral harpist.

Senior Fiddle

Maggie Adamson

Maggie Adamson is a musician from the Shetland Islands, Scotland, who plays fiddle, violin, accordion and piano. She has played with several groups, including Swingin’ Fiddles. Ms Adamson has always enjoyed different kinds of music and finds that the traditional and classical styles complement each other. Taking the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s classical music course rather than its Scottish music course has allowed Ms Adamson to keep her options open for the future. She enjoys orchestral work as much as the Shetland-French Canadian-Scottish-Cape Breton-swing tune selections.

Elizabeth Anderson

Elizabeth Anderson plays the fiddle and teaches around the greater Boston area where she lives.  Ms. Anderson is the 2020 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and the winner of the 2016 Perth Alaal-Scotland Fiddle Championship.  Ms. Anderson’s early training came through a combination of Classical violin lessons and learning at fiddle workshops and camps.   She holds music education degrees from Berklee College of Music (B.M. 2017) and Ithaca College (M.M. 2022).

Sarah Lynn

Sarah Lynn a Scottish fiddler from Austin, Texas. Ms. Lynn graduated from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University with an Undergraduate Degree and a Graduate Performance Diploma in Baroque flute and is a recipient of the Excellence in Early Music Award. Her repertoire consists of a variety of styles, including Irish, Folk, Baroque, and Pop music. Ms. Lynn spends her time teaching (sarahlynnmusic.com), composing modern Scottish tunes, and playing with Northfolk, an Austin-based Trad band. Ms. Lynn is the reigning, undefeated two-time US National Scottish Fiddle Champion (2022 and 2023).

Calum Pasqua

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Pasqua, fiddler and highland bagpiper, specializes in Scottish Fiddle styles of both the northeast and west highlands of Scotland. Mr. Pasqua was the first American to be both, invited to, and win, the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship, held at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl, Scotland. He also holds titles as National Scottish Fiddle champion and was appointed Fiddler to the Marquis of Huntly in 2008.

Piobaireachd (Scottish bagpipe)

Andrew Donlon

Andrew Donlon of Washington, D.C. began playing the bagpipes at nine years old under the tutelage of Chris Hamilton, and has been a student of Willie McCallum since 2012.

An active solo competitor, Andrew travels extensively throughout North America and Scotland. Some prizes of note include 3rd Place in the Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering (2019), 4th Place in the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting (2019), three consecutive second place finishes in the Silver Medals (Northern Meeting 2017 & 2018, Argyllshire Gathering 2018), winning both the A Jig (2017) and B MSR (2019) at London, and winning this event last year.

As a bandsman, Andrew has been the Pipe Major of the Grade 2 MacMillan Pipe Band based in Washington, D.C. since 2015. He also serves as the executive director of the MacMillan organization, with competitive bands in Grades 2, 3, and 5. Andrew has also played with the NY Metro Pipe Band (2013-2015) and the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band (2016). 

Outside of piping, Andrew is a staffer in the United States Congress and is pursuing his Juris Doctorate at the George Washington University Law School.

Cameron Drummond from Edinburgh began his piping career aged eight with the Craigmount High School Pipe Band. He took early solo piping lessons with Donald T McBride and was helped at home by his father, Iain. He went on to study Scottish Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, gaining a first class honours degree. In the same year he began teaching piping at Strathallan School in Perthshire, moving on to Fettes College four years later where he is now the Master in Charge of Pipes and Drums. In 2020 Cameron started “www.playforsheets.com”, where he and a team of piping and drumming experts deliver highly detailed critique sheets and video feedback on demand.

Besides stints with some top Pipe Bands and the Folk Band “Face the West”, Cameron is a keen solo competitive piper and made his debut in the Glenfiddich Piping Championships in 2013. He has taken some significant prizes over the years with some highlights including The 2017 World Pipe Band Championships with Inveraray and District, The Silver Chanter at Dunvegan Castle, and the Silver Star at Inverness, along with two second places in the Northern Meeting Gold Medal. He lives in Edinburgh with his partner Maura and two young children and enjoys piping and golf lessons with his lifelong mentor and friend Colin MacLellan.

Alastair Murray

Alastair Murray was born in Northern Ireland, brought up in local pipe bands, including Gilnahirk Pipe Band, Bangor Cal Pipe Band, and Glassdrummond Pipe Band, through the guidance of Francis Strain and Fred Russell.  He has played with top Grade 1 bands Ravara, Ballycoan, and St Laurence O’Toole.

Alastair is thankful to have received excellent tuition from William McCallum and most recently Bill Livingstone.

Alastair's recent piping successes include 1st place finishes in the North American Grade B Piobaireachd, the American Piobaireachd championship, and the Gold Medal Competition at the Ligonier Highland Games.  He has won several prizes in the silver medal at Winter Storm in Kansas City and the Canadian gold medal competition.  Alastair has been overall Ohio branch champion in both Piobaireachd and light music 6 times in a row and won multiple prizes in Scotland, Ireland, and North America.

When not piping, he is showing his Siberian Huskies with his wife Kristen.

Avens Ridgeway

Avens Ridgeway began learning the bagpipes at the age of 9. Over the years, she has been fortunate enough to study with excellent teachers and currently receives instruction from Willie McCallum.

Avens re-entered the solo competition scene a few years ago and since has had a successful return, including placing 2nd in the Piobaireachd at the Pipe Major Ian Swinton Open Contest and winning the Professional Piobaireachd and the overall at the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Georgia.

Outside of solo competing, Avens has received a Bachelors in Psychology from Lyon College and a Masters in Organizational Psychiatry & Psychology from King’s College London. She currently works at a consulting firm as the Lead Talent, Research & Development Coach. Avens is originally from Maine and currently resides in Missouri with her husband, Will.