Zephan Knichel
Piper
Originally from Edmonton, Zephan began piping in 1999 as an Air Cadet with the 570 RCACS Pipe Band. The following year Zephan joined the Edmonton Boys Pipe Band and the Vimy Ridge Academy Pipe Band. In 2003 Zephan joined the grade one Alberta Caledonia Pipe Band, of which he was an active member until 2013. Zephan joined SFU for the 2014-2015 season. His tutor is Jack Lee.
Zephan is a regular solo competitor in North America and Scotland. In 2022, he won the B Grade Hornpipe/Jig at Inverness and was the Champion Piper at the Crieff Games. Over the years he has won prizes in the B grade light music and Silver Medal Piobaireachd events at Oban and Inverness. Other notable solo accomplishments include winning the Open Aggregate at the BCPA Annual Gathering, US Silver Medal for Piobaireachd, and the Darleen Milloy Memorial Trophy for the B/C Grade Piobaireachd event at the BCPA Annual Gathering five years in a row.
Zephan is currently self-employed as a full-time bagpipe instructor. He has been an instructor with the RMM organization since 2015 and is a regular teacher at Piping Hot Summer Drummer. He worked for Lee and Sons Bagpipes Ltd. as a Pipe Bag maker for seven years before going into teaching full time. Since 2017 Zephan has worked closely with renowned author and educator Dr. Stephanie Burns. He was a test reader and contributor for her three books: Practice Strategies that Cause Musical Improvement, Strategies for Learning and Memorizing New Tunes, and The Beginner Years: Learning to Play a Musical Instrument.
Zephan is currently in the process of moving to the USA with his wife Samantha.
