Oregon beats Scotland to the 20th Anniversary Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship

The 2009 Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion was Rebecca Lomnicky from Corvalis in Oregon.  Rebecca is the 20th champion since the prestigious competition began in 1989 and this year was her first time competing for the coveted title.

Taking place annually at Blair Castle in Perthshire, Rebecca was one of eight competitors this year, battling it out for the fiddling world’s ultimate accolade.

Those who compete do so by invitation only, after a successful year winning competitions around the world.  The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship– seen as the Grammys of the Fiddling world – is therefore the arena that decides the champion of champions.

Winner Rebecca says: ‘The Glenfiddich is the Championship you set your sights on when you become an accomplished player – everyone who takes part is so incredibly talented.  In fact, I’m still overjoyed at having been invited to compete.Now that I have won, to be honest, I don’t even think it has sunk in yet.  It really has been a spectacular year’.

The top placings: were

• 1st place: Rebecca Lomnicky (Oregon)
• 2nd place: Nicola Auchnie (Turriff, Aberdeenshire)
• 3rd place: Gillian Ramsay (Kirriemuir, Angus)

Nicola Auchnie, taking second place for the second year running, says, ‘I’m delighted to have come second again.  It is an honour to be invited and this year I have enjoyed it even more as my experience of last year meant that I had gained more confidence in playing in such a prestigious competition’.

3rd placed Gillian Ramsay says, ‘I’m really pleased to have been placed third in my second attempt at the Glenfiddich.  It is a really high accolade and I’m delighted to have been part of it’.

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championships started in 1989 to reward, encourage and stimulate the art of fiddle playing throughout the world. The Fiddle Championships added to the already existing and acclaimed Glenfiddich Piping Championships established in 1974 to attract and inspire the world’s finest individual pipers, and to seek the best overall exponents of the legendary ceol mor or piobaireachd (the great music) and ceol beag (the little music).

Peter Gordon, Chairman of William Grant and Sons Limited, says: ‘Over the year’s this has become such a prestigious event and for that, we are extremely proud.  We pass on our congratulations to this year’s winner and all those who took part in making this another exceptional event’.