Pipe Major Alfredo Micucci (1930-2022)

5-Nov-2022

We are very saddened by the news of Alfredo Micucci's passing last night, at 92 years of age. He was a founding member and 2nd Pipe Major of the St. Andrew's Society of the River Plate Pipe Band.

In the late 1940s, Alfredo reached out to Robert Dunsmore "Dunny" Ross (later to become the 1st PM of the SASRP Pipe Band) with the intention of reproducing a set of bagpipes for ornamental purposes. Dunny Ross convinced Alfredo that to accomplish his goal, he first needed to learn how play the bagpipes. Alfredo thus became the first piper to have learned (and first non-British to have played) in Argentina. Alfredo received additional tutoring from PM William Ross (former PM of the Black Watch) and from Andrew Stewart (who also introduced Alfredo to piobaireachd). In 1959, Dunny Ross passed-on to Alfredo the responsibilities of the recently-formed Pipe Band. Under Alfredo's 12-year leadership, the Band grew to become both well constituted and well equipped. Upon Alfredo's retirement of the pipe band scene, he became the Society's Honorary Pipe Major and continued to play at special occasions for the SASRP and the Royal British Legion. Alfredo continued studying Piobaireachd and soon became the local referent and instructor of that genre. Alfredo was forced to stop playing the pipes in 2004 due to health reasons, when started learning Scottish and Irish tunes on the harp.

Alfredo's pipe band legacy endures in South America more than ever to this day, and through this legacy is how so many of us got to know and appreciate him. He will be dearly missed, and may he rest in peace.