Ross Ainslie (GB)

About

Ross Ainslie is a Scottish piper and multi instrumentalist who has made it his mission to push bagpipes way beyond their traditional role. Playing highland pipes, smallpipes, border pipes, whistles and cittern, he weaves in influences from Indian classical music, jazz and rock to create something that sits in genuinely exciting territory. He co founded the 11 piece Treacherous Orchestra in 2009, whose album Grind won Album of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, and he's also a member of Salsa Celtica, which mashes Scottish and Irish tradition with Latin salsa. As a solo artist, Ainslie has built an ambitious catalogue. His debut Wide Open pulled in Scottish, Breton, Indian and jazz elements, and he later launched a trilogy of concept albums, Sanctuary, Vana and Pool, exploring personal healing and self discovery with expanded instrumentation including Indian classical instruments. His regular duo work with fellow piper Ali Hutton earned them Best Duo at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2017. He also lectures in bagpipes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and in 2023 went unexpectedly viral after playing a bagpipe version of Dr. Dre's Still D.R.E. for Snoop Dogg on the tarmac at Glasgow Airport.