Jori Chisholm
Encyclopedia
Jori Lance Chisholm is an American
professional bagpipe player
and teacher who lives in Seattle, Washington. He has played with the six-time Grade One World Champion
Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
since 1998 and has been a featured solo performer for the band on multiple occasions. Chisholm is a successful solo competitor winning the United States Gold Medal three times and has placed in the top three in Scotland's
Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal competition. Chisholm has performed in front of sold-audiences with The Chieftains
and with ex-Grateful Dead
rocker Bob Weir
and his band Ratdog
, and has been featured as a soloist or band member on over 20 recordings. His debut solo album Bagpipe Revolution was nominated for Album of the Year by Pipes|Drums magazine. He writes the "Sound Technique" column for the National Piping Centre’s bi-monthly Piping Today Magazine.
-American bilingual household (hence the first name, which is Finnish), Chisholm, together with his siblings, began musical training early, beginning with the piano
at the age of four and continuing with that instrument until high school, where he played the cello
and sang various school choirs.
With siblings involved in Highland dancing, it was natural for Chisholm to migrate to the bagpipes, taking his first piping lessons at age 11 from a close neighbor and professional piper, Colin MacKenzie, who was the founder of the first American Grade 1 pipe band, the Blue Heron Bay Pipe Band.
Early on in his piping career, Chisholm performed exclusively as a soloist since there were few pipe band
s where he grew up (and no pipe bands for youth). In those years, Chisholm attended piping workshops and competitions, as well as making an annual trip to the Coeur d'Alene Piping School in Idaho
, where he studied piobaireachd
under Pipe Major
Evan MacRae and Andrew Wright.
After graduating from high school, Chisholm enrolled at the University of Puget Sound
in Tacoma, Washington. While there, he traveled regularly to British Columbia
to take lessons, progressing to the professional level of piping competition. After graduating from UPS with a degree in psychology
in 1997, Chisholm was admitted to the national honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa. It was the following year that he joined the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
.
In 2000, Chisholm went on a solo competition tour in Scotland in an attempt to achieve sufficient piping prizes to meet the qualification standards for elite competitions the following year. He succeeded, and was invited to compete at the Argyllshire Gathering at Oban and the Northern Meeting
in Inverness in 2001. In his first year competing at the elite level, he won the Royal Scottish Pipers' Society Bronze Star for 1st Place in the 'A' Marches at the Argyllshire Gathering at Oban and Runner-Up in the Silver Medal Piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting in Inverness.
Chisholm continues to compete internationally, taking top prizes in North America and Scotland. His first solo album, Bagpipe Revolution, was released in 2008 and was Runner-Up for the Reader's Choice Recording of the Year award by PipesDrums.
.
Chisholm is a graduate of the Yamaha Music School
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional bagpipe player
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
and teacher who lives in Seattle, Washington. He has played with the six-time Grade One World Champion
World Pipe Band Championships
The World Pipe Band Championships is a pipe band competition currently held in Glasgow, Scotland every August. The event has been operating regularly since 1930, when the Scottish Pipe Band Association was formed...
Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada . The band has consistently placed in the top three in world competition and has won the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships six times: 1995, 1996, 1999,...
since 1998 and has been a featured solo performer for the band on multiple occasions. Chisholm is a successful solo competitor winning the United States Gold Medal three times and has placed in the top three in Scotland's
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal competition. Chisholm has performed in front of sold-audiences with The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
and with ex-Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
rocker Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
and his band Ratdog
Ratdog
RatDog , is an American rock band. The group began as a side project for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in December 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995, RatDog became Bob Weir's primary band...
, and has been featured as a soloist or band member on over 20 recordings. His debut solo album Bagpipe Revolution was nominated for Album of the Year by Pipes|Drums magazine. He writes the "Sound Technique" column for the National Piping Centre’s bi-monthly Piping Today Magazine.
Biography
Raised in a FinnishFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
-American bilingual household (hence the first name, which is Finnish), Chisholm, together with his siblings, began musical training early, beginning with the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at the age of four and continuing with that instrument until high school, where he played the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and sang various school choirs.
With siblings involved in Highland dancing, it was natural for Chisholm to migrate to the bagpipes, taking his first piping lessons at age 11 from a close neighbor and professional piper, Colin MacKenzie, who was the founder of the first American Grade 1 pipe band, the Blue Heron Bay Pipe Band.
Early on in his piping career, Chisholm performed exclusively as a soloist since there were few pipe band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
s where he grew up (and no pipe bands for youth). In those years, Chisholm attended piping workshops and competitions, as well as making an annual trip to the Coeur d'Alene Piping School in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where he studied piobaireachd
Piobaireachd
Pibroch, Piobaireachd or Ceòl Mór is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations...
under Pipe Major
Pipe Major
The Pipe Major is the director of bagpipe music in a Scottish or Irish pipe band. Like Drum Major, the position of Pipe Major is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term Sergeant Piper was used for the role in place of "Pipe Major".Civillian and military...
Evan MacRae and Andrew Wright.
After graduating from high school, Chisholm enrolled at the University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound
The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States...
in Tacoma, Washington. While there, he traveled regularly to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to take lessons, progressing to the professional level of piping competition. After graduating from UPS with a degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in 1997, Chisholm was admitted to the national honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa. It was the following year that he joined the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada . The band has consistently placed in the top three in world competition and has won the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships six times: 1995, 1996, 1999,...
.
In 2000, Chisholm went on a solo competition tour in Scotland in an attempt to achieve sufficient piping prizes to meet the qualification standards for elite competitions the following year. He succeeded, and was invited to compete at the Argyllshire Gathering at Oban and the Northern Meeting
Northern Meeting
The Northern Meeting, established in 1788 in Inverness, Scotland, is best known for its bagpiping competition in September. These competitions are among the most prestigious solo events in the piping world. The most famous competition is the pìobaireachd competition, which is organized in three...
in Inverness in 2001. In his first year competing at the elite level, he won the Royal Scottish Pipers' Society Bronze Star for 1st Place in the 'A' Marches at the Argyllshire Gathering at Oban and Runner-Up in the Silver Medal Piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting in Inverness.
Chisholm continues to compete internationally, taking top prizes in North America and Scotland. His first solo album, Bagpipe Revolution, was released in 2008 and was Runner-Up for the Reader's Choice Recording of the Year award by PipesDrums.
Trivia
Chisholm is the grandson of the famous Finnish fighter ace Jorma SarvantoJorma Sarvanto
Jorma Kalevi Sarvanto was a Finnish Air Force pilot and the foremost Finnish fighter ace of the Winter War.-Early life:...
.
Chisholm is a graduate of the Yamaha Music School
Yamaha Music Foundation
The Yamaha Music Foundation is an organization established by the authority of the Japanese Ministry of Education for the purpose of promoting music education and music popularization...
.
Solo Prizes
- Cowal Highland GatheringCowal Highland GatheringThe Cowal Highland Gathering is an annual Highland games event held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, Argyll, over the final weekend in August.-History:...
Open 'A' Piobaireachd (2010) - 1st place (first American two-time winner) - U.S. Gold Medal Piping Championship (2009) - 1st place (first three-time winner)
- U.S. Gold Medal Piping Championship (2008) - 1st place (first two-time winner)
- Cowal Highland GatheringCowal Highland GatheringThe Cowal Highland Gathering is an annual Highland games event held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, Argyll, over the final weekend in August.-History:...
Open 'A' Piobaireachd (2008) - 1st place (first American winner) - 3rd place in the Gold Medal competition at Oban (2006)
- United States Prize Pipe (2005) - 1st place
- Inaugural U.S. Gold Medal Piping Championship (2004) - 1st place
- Cameron-Gillies Challenge Recital (two time winner - 2004 and 2005)
- B.C. Piper's Association Professional Knock-Out Competition (2004) - 1st place
- Western Regional Piping Championships (2004) - 1st place
- 4th place in the Gold Medal Piobaireachd competition at Inverness (2003)
- Runner-Up in the Silver Medal Piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting in Inverness.
- 'A' Marches at Argyllshire Gathering in Oban (2001) - 1st place
As a soloist
- Bagpipe Revolution (nominated for Album of the Year by Pipes|Drums magazine)
- Masters of Scottish Arts - Volume II: Live at Benaroya Hall
- Dr. Dan Reid Memorial Challenge Recital 2004
- The 2004 Band Room MASTERS: Recorded Live at the National Piping CentreNational Piping CentreThe National Piping Centre is an institution in Glasgow, Scotland, dedicated to the playing of the bagpipes, to include not only the Great Highland Bagpipes, but also the Scottish smallpipes and Irish uileann pipes, as well as other traditional musical instruments.The institution includes practise...
- The 2004 Band Room MASTERS Piobaireachd: Volume One -- ""DVD""
- Winter Storm III: The Pipes and Drums Concert (2004)
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: On Home Ground: Volume One
- Winter Storm 2008: The Pipes and Drums Concert
- Winter Storm 2009: The Pipes and Drums Concert
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: Affirmation: Live at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
As a band member
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: Affirmation: Live at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: On Home Ground: Volume One
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: On Home Ground: Volume Two
- Simon Fraser University Pipe Band: Down Under: Live at the Sydney Opera House
- Winter Storm 2006: The Pipes and Drums Concert
- Winter Storm 2007: The Pipes and Drums Concert
- Winter Storm 2008: The Pipes and Drums Concert
- Winter Storm 2009: The Pipes and Drums Concert
- The World Pipe Band Championships: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010.
As a producer
- Bagpipe Revolution
- Masters of Scottish Arts - Volume II: Live at Benaroya Hall
- Masters of Scottish Arts - Volume I
As a composer
- Bagpipe Revolution
- Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
Pipe Band: On Home Ground: Volume One - The World Pipe Band Championships: 2005
- Raven: A Soft Wind Blows