Basel in Switzerland is my home and yet I am drawn to Celtic music.
My early fascination for the Scottish Highland Pipes soon led to a love for the Irish music and the Uilleann Pipes.

After studying archaeology of Pre- and Early History, in 1991 I got an apprenticeship with Andreas Rogge, the German bagpipe maker in Tübingen, where I was employed until 1999. 
There I learned how to make bagpipes such as Uilleann Pipes, Highland Pipes, Small Pipes, Grande Bourbonnaise, Cabrette, Shepherd's Pipe and Hümmelchen.

During this time I also took interest in the Irish Flute. 
I started replicating old flutes, was soon able to develop and manufacture my own instruments and then also built flutes as part of my employment with Andreas Rogge.

In 1999 I moved back to Basel to set up my own workshop.

I kept studying antique wooden transverse flutes from all eras, further improving my craft skills as well as deepening my understanding of the instrument.

At the same time, my passion for the Uilleann Pipes has never stopped and for the last few years I have been building sets in addition to chanters.

As a Basel resident, it was of course natural to get involved in the construction of piccolos and many instruments from my workshop contribute to the traditional Basler Fasnacht.

Thomas Aebi