CHARLIE RUTAN- BAGPIPER 

 

2022 updates:

June 2022: Washington DC Folk Fest, Mercer Co NJ Italian Fest.

May 2022: Gave performances at the Virginia Renaissance Faire, Middlebury CT Italian club, Westminster Church in Wilmington DE, The Kimmell Center in Phila, Princeton and Glassboro NJ.

Apr 2022: Taught Italian Folk music at Washington CT Montessori middle school courtesy of a week long cultural grant.

Appeared with renaissance band Tower Green at public events in Baltimore city, and at The New-Deal Cafe in Greenbelt MD.

Mar 2022: Performed on pipes with ‘The Querida Project’ at Ardmore Music Hall for the benefit of local food banks. 

Feb 2022:  Performed orchestrally on English Horn in St William’s Concert Series (Phila) in J.S. Bach’s Cantata #35.

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Oct 2021: Seven day Tour of NY NJ DC & MD with Rosa Tatuata, culminating at the 3 day National Council for the Folk Arts ‘Richmond Folk Fest’ in Virginia.

Sept 2021:  Appeared 2 weeks at the Maryland Renaissance Festival with Renaissance band “Tower Green” on pipes, shawm and flutes.

Aug 2021: Designated as a Master Folk Artist by the state of New Jersey and awarded a grant to tutor an apprentice in Italian Traditional Music.

July 2021:  Awarded an ‘Illuminate The Arts” grant by City of Philadelphia Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy. 

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March 10th, 2020: In one final show before lockdown, performed with Organist John Bate on the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Pipe Organ in Atlantic City NJ: the largest such instrument of its kind in the world.

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April 2020: included in Hohner’s “United in Sound” Instagram campaign of musicians making music while masked .

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Sept 4-11 2018- Featured guest performer at ‘Festival della Frecagnola”, a 600 year old event in Cannalonga,  Italy.

Jan 18-20 , 2019- Shepherdstown WV- Upper Potomac Music fest Italian & French Bagpipe instructor
Feb- Jun 2019- CIAO TONY show NYC RadioICN, twice with Antonello di Matteo & Michela Musolino
March 26-31 2019- Rosa Tatuata NYC & NY State tour

July 12-14, 2019 - Butte, MT Folk Fest in Rosa Tatuata
July 15- CD Release- ‘Sotto Le Stelle (Under the Stars)- Rosa Tatuata (produced by Rena Sinakin & PhoeNotes)
July 23- Aug 6, 2019 Lark Camp, Mendocino CA- Instructor Italian Music & French pipes
Aug 30- Sept 2, 2019- Clarksburg WV Italian fest with Rosa Tatuata
Oct 14 - Dec 22, 2019: with Rosa Tatuata, NYC , MD, DC & WV Holiday tour

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Highlights:

*Founder of ‘BagpipesFAO’; since 1996 the region’s premiere source for the live in-person kilted glory of Highland Bagpipes at their events. *Performs Italian traditional & contemporary music in Rosa Tatuata, Zampognari di Filadelfia, & Coro D’ Italia.

*Provided numerous musical shows during the 2016 DNC; including a private performance for RFK’s daughter, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. 

*On Uilleann pipes in ‘Ensemble Musica Humana’, performed 18th c music of Turlough O’Carolan with Nancy Hurrell on a 250 year old Egan Harp

*Played Uilleann pipes in Ligionier Ministry’s Reformation day orchestral concert in Lancaster PA, Oct 2016
*Performed in Gotham Early Music Series midday concert ‘Piper in the Parlor’ with Christa Patton (formerly of Piffaro) and Peter Walker. 

*Performed at Hoboken NJ Italian Festival, Phila St Nicholas of Tolentine festa, and Wilmington DE St Anthony of Padua festivals

*Performed on Zampogna by invitation of the Italian Ambassador to the USA for the Embassy's 'Italian Holiday Festival' at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington DC (2014 & 2015)

*Featured presenter of the ‘Zamposium’ a gathering of Italian bagpipers from California, Oregon & Washington in Seattle

*Member of 'The Royal Pipers' in the New York State Renaissance Faire 
*Produced and performed “Wind in our Sails” a bagpipe and harp centric look at European immigration to lower Manhattan. M

*Featured 7th inning stretch performer on top of the dugout for the Philadelphia Phillies MLB’Italian Heritage Night’

*Awarded a 'Performance in Public Spaces' grant for Italian Folk music by the city of Philadephia 
*Featured playing Zampogna on the soundtrack of Tom Ryan's thriller film 'FACES' (2014)

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LATEST REVIEWS:

in ROSA TATUATA: “ with her band ROSA TATUATA, Michela Musolino is the Tina Turner of Italian music, backed by three incredible musician on an array of rare indigenous sounds”(Peter Covino, PenAmerica)

in SYLVIA PLATYPUS: ”...nothing would surprise me with Sylvia Platypus...crisp fingering...more like Braveheart...striking bagpipe solos by Rutan."(Alex Monaghan, "Piping Today" Oct 2014 )

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in BOOTLESS STAGEWORKS: Piper for Bootless Stagework's SRO concert performances of Eric Idle's 'Not The Messiah' "...pipes- a crowning touch!" (Kevin Smith, BroadwayWorld.com) Feb 2015

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Selected Credits

Founder of ‘BagpipesFAO’ ( BagpipesFAO.com)
Formed ‘Zampognari di Filadelfia' (2005) & produced its CD 'An Italian Bagpipe Christmas' (2012)
Piped for the 9-11 memorial Presepio (nativity scene) at the Italian Consulate General in Manhattan, (2013)

Piped for LAPHROAIG's global simulcast tasting event to mark the brand's 200th anniversary (2015)
Led townships of Haddonfield and Voorhees NJ, and Temple University’s official 9/11 memorial. (2001)

Performed on French Pipes for the ‘Confreres du Chevaliers du Tastevin’(2008)

Principal bagpipe of the Reading Symphony Orchestra
Featured on ‘Its your Call with Lynn Doyle’; Comcast CN8, (2007)
Did a spot on John DiBella show WMGK -FM,(2010)
Produced Pipe Band segments for PIFA 2013 (Phila Int'nl Festival of the Arts)
Two feature segments on Comcast 's “Ciao Bella Living Italian Style’ with Barbara Ann Zippi", 2015, 2016.

 

Piper to:

US Airways inaugural nonstop flight from Glasgow to Philadelphia, 2004 and 2014

Diageo /Origlio (Guinness Stout) launch of ‘Smithwick’s Ale” in the area , 2004
The Greater Philadelphia British-American Business Council Holiday Celebration,

2013 The Sons of St. George Society 2002- 2008

The Walker family of Scotch whiskies in Phila area, 2002
The yacht “MiGaea” during her stays in Phila, 2000, 2003
USMC, USN, NROTC + US Army Messes, 2001-2009
Graduations of University of Penn Nursing College, Villanova Universitiy + Ursinus College, 2001-present,

Installed and memorialized legendary Ursinus president Dr Bobby Fong(2013-14)

Chester Valley Golf Club, 2005-2009, Tavistock Country Club, 2001-2002

Bristol Riverside Theatre’s production of‘ Brigadoon’, 1999

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Also of note:

*Has Piped for a host of elected, academic and religious officials;

PA State Police Colour Guard Detachment, “Reading Express” Pro indoor football,

“Reading Phillies” AAA baseball pre-game show,
Barkann Healing Hearts Foundation with current & former members of the Eagles football team,
the annual Philadelphia RathaYatra Parade of Chariots for India Day in Phila,

Opened for the Scots Guards at the Kimmell Center.
Has Performed at Academy of Music, The Philadelphia Club, PA Convention Centre.,
Reading Sovereign Centre, Phila Int. Airport, Battleship USS New Jersey, World Café Live, hundreds of other venues.
For corporate functions of: Aberdeen Asset Management, the Red Cross, Deloitte + Touche, Keystone Mercy Health,
The Restaurant School, Ethicon (Johnson + Johnson), Equity office properties, 3M, Intel Corp, Teamster’s Union.

*Piped for the wedding (2010) & memorial service (2013) of Former Surgeon General of the USA, Dr. C. Everett Koop.

*Gigged with the legendary Jazz Bagpiper Rufus Harley, 1998 +1999, and sadly, piped for his memorial service, 8/7/06

*Piped for the memorial service of Phillie’s pitching great Tug McGraw, Jan. 2004,

* and for the memorial of "Piffaro's" bagpiper, Tom Zajac, Nov 2015

 

DISCOGRAPHY:

“Sylvia Platypus” (Sylvia Platypus) 2011 https://www.amazon.com/Sylvia-Platypus/dp/B006CFEIRI

 

‘An Italian Bagpipe Christmas” (Zampognari di Filadelfia) 2012 https://www.amazon.com/Italian-Bagpipe-Christmas-Zampognari-Filadelfia/dp/B00GHIZ1M6

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‘Last Hurrah’ (Sylvia Platypus) 2014 https://www.amazon.com/Last-Hurrah-Sylvia-Platypus/dp/B00NFXUOBE

 

’Faces” feature film 2014 IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4151206/

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‘Pond Kings In April’ (Hawk Tubley & the Ozymandians) 2017 https://www.amazon.com/Pond-Kings-April-Tubley-Ozymandians/dp/B01MZ0OI0N

 

“Urban Village Piping” (compilation, Charlie Rutan) 2018 https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/urban-village-piping/1262938502

 

“Diamonds, Moon, Mean Tambourine” (Sylvia Platypus) June 2019 https://music.apple.com/us/album/diamonds-moon-and-mean-tambourine/1469440584

 

“Day Blue’ (Edwin Warfield IV) 2014 https://soundcloud.com/edwinwarfield/sets/day-blue

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‘Angel Mae” (Smash Alley) 2018 https://smashalley.bandcamp.com/track/angel-may

‘

When Once I had You” (Alice-Marie: Lady Torch,) 2019 https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ladytorch

 

‘Sotto Le Stelle (Under the Stars)”- Rosa Tatuata, 2019 www.MichelaMusolino.com/Rosa-Tatuata

 

‘Human’ - Phoe Notes Productions, 2019 Online release sept 2019

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Education & Background:

*Studied at the Piping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, (1998) with Master Pipers Donald Mac Pherson, Angus MacDonald, (Pipe Major Scots Guards 1965-74) & Roddy MacLeod, (Dir. of Piping Centre) & others.

*Took master classes on Uilleann Pipes with: Paddy Keenan, Jerry O’ Sullivan, &others. (2005-08),

*Took master classes on French pipes with Eric Montbel (2015), Remy Villeneuve(2014), and Jean-Pierre Rasle of the Avalon Band & Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart (2008)

*Principal Oboist, Chestnut Hill and Olney Orchestras (1996-2004) Manager of CHO, (1999-2002)
*Received ASCAP Special awards for Composition (1996,1997). Composer of 3 symphonies and over 100 classical works.

*Graduated Bachelors of Music (Summa) University of the Arts, 1992.

Extensive prior musical education beginning in 1970’s.

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MEMBERSHIP :  

AFM LOCAL #77.  ASCAP Writer & Publisher.  Circolo della Zampogna.

 

Charlie performs primarily on four types of bagpipe: 

Scottish Highland Pipes,

Irish Uilleann Pipes,

Italian Zampogna,

French Cornemuse (Baroque & Modern).

 

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'Copy-&-paste' Press Blurb:

CHARLIE RUTAN-  BAGPIPES

Finest in traditional & progressive bagpiping styles of Scotland, Ireland, Italy & France. 

Has Piped for Luxury yachts &Lords; Concerts & Country clubs; Battleships & Bishops; 

Generals &Graduations, Admirals& Ambassadors, Academics & Airports, Knights & Nightclubs, 

Symphony Orchestras & Secret Societies; Whisky makers and Wine tasters.

 

Piped for former Pres G.H..Bush, Rod Stewart, + H.M. Queen Noor, Regent of Jordan.  

Seen on NBC, CNN, CBS, ABC, FOX, in print, and TV Finland! 

Dubbed "the Eddie VanHalen of the Bagpipe" by John Lennons bassist, Gary Von Scyoc

Founder of ‘BagpipesFAO’ &‘Zampognari di Filadelfia’ Piper for the acclaimed indie band  'Sylvia Platypus', 

Member of Sicilian Roots Band ROSA TATUATA starring Michela Musolino

 

Studied Piping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland 1998. PCPA Summa cum laude in Music,1992. 

Listed in 2003+2005 ‘Who’s Who in America’, 2004+2006 ‘Who’s Who in the World’. 

Member of  ASCAP, AFM,  Circolo Dell Zampogna

Piper at Weddings, Funerals + Events for men and women from all walks of life.