Kendra MacGillivray is the college's third director. (CBC)

The College of Piping in Summerside, P.E.I., has gone with a local talent as its new director.

Kendra MacGillivray is a Charlottetown-based fiddler and music teacher. She replaces Mike Paterson, who left after only three months on the job.

The College of Piping is one of only two highland arts schools in the world that operates year-round. It was founded in 1990 and MacGillivray is just its third director.

Growing up in Antigonish, MacGillivray has been steeped in the Celtic tradition since she was a child. She told CBC News on Thursday that one of her priorities is to offer instruction in more instruments.

"One of the things that I would love to bring to the college is my love of fiddling. I'm sure I'll be teaching in some capacity," she said.

"There could be Gaelic singing, any kind of accompanying instrument. That's looking down the road and saying OK, once we've got piping and drumming and highland dancing and step dancing and fiddle taken care of, then you can start branching out."

MacGillivray also hopes to expand the number of public performances by the college, something on which it built an international reputation, and increase the music camps held during the summer months.