Kenneth Liechti Bagpiper from Austin, TX

If you are looking for a bagpiper or even a pipe and drum band, current Pipe Major Ken Liechti and the Silver Thistle Pipes and Drums are your best bet in the Central Texas Area. We have played for weddings, funerals, memorial services, private or corporate special events, parades, school events, Hogmanay, St Patrick’s day, St Andrews day and even bar mitzvahs. We mainly play the Scottish highland pipes and drums but can mix it with Scottish small pipes and alternate percussion, for a quieter more intimate, indoor sound. We can also team up with the Hill Country Highland dancers for some traditional Scottish dancing to the sound of the pipes. The rate posted here is for a solo piper for up to an hour in Austin. We also have prices for duets, trios, quartets, miniband and full band and can perform anywhere in the US. We are a 501c(3) non-profit organization promoting Scottish Highland piping and drumming in the Central Texas area. If you hire us, you’ll be supporting our outreach efforts, equipment support, competition expenses and rental fees for our rehearsal and lesson space. Ken has been playing the highland pipes for more than 60 years, learning to play the pipes as a youngster in Scotland. He still competes with the best players in the country at the open solo level. He has won many events over the years and is the only piper in the Central Texas area currently competing at that level. He also plays the small pipes. The Silver Thistle Pipes & Drums was founded in 1977 and has been led by Ken for nearly 30 years. The band has successfully competed in Texas and out-of-state contests in the US, as well as in Canada and Scotland. We have performed with the Chieftains, as well as for festivals in Texas, Kansas City, Mexico and Scotland. We have released 4 CDs (“Wake up There, Man”, “SambaThistle”, “The Silver Album”, “Going for Gold”) all available from our website or your favorite streaming platform. So, there are plenty of solo and Band tracks for you to peruse, beyond the limited sample that the BASH allows at our membership level. If you want more videos or images, go to our website, Facebook or Instagram pages. We can also travel way further than the 10 mile limit our membership level indicates. The Band also provides group piping and drumming lessons for children and adults alike. We work on a trimester basis with 5 piping and 3 drumming levels. Ken and some other players also provide private lessons. Ken is qualified to teach at all solo piper levels (open and amateur grade 1 to 5), including piobaireachd (classical music of the highland pipes) as well as so-called light music (marches, dances, airs, etc.). If you’d like to hire us, I’ll be responding and will indicate my availability, that of one of our highly qualified players or whatever level of Band grouping you desire. You won’t be disappointed!!