Ulster Orchestra

ULSTER ORCHESTRA

PERFORMERS

Founded in 1966, the Ulster Orchestra has been at the forefront of musical life in Northern Ireland for over 50 years. and the Orchestra’s full-time musicians form the region’s only professional symphony orchestra. In 2022/23, after 4 years in partnership with the Orchestra, Daniele Rustioni was appointed as Music Director. The Orchestra performs around 40 concerts a year in its home, the Ulster Hall, and the Waterfront Hall, Belfast.

With a mission to enrich the lives of people living in Northern Ireland, those visiting, and those who encounter it through international touring and regular radio and TV broadcasts with both BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio 3, the Orchestra strives for excellence in all it undertakes, be it regular concert performances, learning and community engagement programmes, or creative collaborations across the arts. An important aspect of the Ulster Orchestra’s work is its annual touring programme of concerts, which brings live orchestral music to the heart of communities across the region.

The Ulster Orchestra’s recordings are gaining global critical acclaim, with a recent CD of music by Kurt Weill on SOMM records garnering international critical acclaim. The Orchestra also regularly records for labels such as Hyperion, Naxos, Chandos and Toccata Classics.

The Ulster Orchestra’s Learning and Community Engagement programme aims to connect the Orchestra with communities and individuals across Northern Ireland, both as audiences and participants. All the Orchestra’s musicians work on activities including relaxed performances for people with additional needs, mentoring and coaching for players at all stages of their musical journey and the Crescendo project, the Orchestra’s flagship community-led residency project for children from disadvantaged areas in North and West Belfast