Stuart Cassells (Biography courtesy of the Artist's site, 2006)

Falkirk's Stuart Cassells won the 2005 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Against stiff competition from around Scotland. Stuart lifted the trophy at The Celtic Connections Festival on January 23rd 2005 in a storming performance at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Stuart is an Honours Graduate from Glasgow's Royal College of Music and Drama, the first to complete its piping-specific course.
Stuart's piping has seen him invited to join Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell on his official visit to China, to perform at The Scottish Proms, and to be part of the Harry Potter film, "Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire".
Distinctly non-traditional developments, however, include an invitation to join glam-rockers "The Darkness" on a track for their second album - Stuart and is band the "Red Hot Chilli Pipers" met up with The Darkness at Scotland's "T in the Park" music festival joining them on stage for a rip-roaring set of tunes.
Pipe Major Bill Livingstone invited Stuart to join Canada's prestigious 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band for the 2006 contest season. The traditional aspect of Stuart's playing can be evidenced by the fact that he has had stints with such notable bands as Scottish Power and the Vale of Atholl.
His first solo album entitled "Blown Away" with his folk band "Cassells" was released in May 2006.