Bagpipers play at Olympic curling in homage to sport’s Scottish heritage – but they’re Italian

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Spectators trekking through heavy snow to the Cortina Olympic curling stadium were delighted to be greeted by a traditional Scottish bagpipe performance from a group of high sock-wearing, kilt-sporting, snare drum-carrying, glengarry-topped … Italians. 

The Milan Cortina Winter Games have put their own spin on the tradition of having a pipe band play at Olympic curling medal ceremonies, an homage that is meant to honor the sport’s Scottish heritage.

For this Games, the bagpipers are from northeastern Italy, more than 2,000 miles (about 3,200 kilometers) from Scotland. The Cateaters Pipe Band say they are one of two pipe bands in the Veneto region. 

Until recently, the Cateaters’ performances were limited to local concerts, ballet performances and ceremonies around Veneto. Performing at the Olympic medal ceremony is their biggest gig yet. 

“It’s so emotional for us to play here for the world,” said Marianna Spadarotto, the lone woman in the band, who is on the bass drum. “For me, yes, it is exciting, but also I’m shy, so it makes me nervous.”

Asked if they add Italian flair to the Scottish tunes, they emphatically shake their heads. They don’t mess with tradition — though it is not unknown in Italy.

Luca Eze, who plays the bagpipes, says he started his career on the zampogna, a type of instrument common in central and southern Italy. In the Veneto region, it’s sometimes called a “piva,” and is played on Christmas and during other festivities. 

“I played the electric guitar and then a friend passed along this instrument to me,” says Mauro Fortuna, a Venetian who began playing Scottish music in 2008. 

Curling is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the first written evidence of the sport’s existence documented, in Latin, by a notary living in Paisley, Scotland, in the sixteenth century, according to World Curling.

The notary told of a stiff contest between a monk, John Sclater, and a representative of the Abbot, Gavin Hamilton, involving sliding stones across ice. It was in Scotland where organized curling clubs originated, with players sliding stones across frozen lochs. 

On a snowy day in front of the Cortina curling center, Olympic fans paused to take in the scene, some wondering how the musicians’ ungloved hands were not too cold to play. 

The tufts of Eze’s hair, jutting out from beneath his glengarry cap, were covered in snowflakes that fell down his face with every puff of the bagpipe. He’s bright red and smiling. 

Some fans proudly wave Scottish flags. They’re here to watch the four players representing Britain on the ice, all of whom are from Scotland.

Italian tourists look animated in the breaks between tunes, realizing they understand the chatter between the bandmates. Cristian Negro, on snare drum, says that as an Italian, choosing to pursue Scottish music has given him frequent opportunities for gigs.

“I focus more on high tension snare drums because there are so few people who play it here,” he says. “I get to play more music — and it’s necessary for someone to do.”

It’s also pretty cool, he admits, because it has brought him to the Olympics.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics