The Ulster Orchestra performing in the historic Ulster Hall which opened in 1862…

…and in the landmark Belfast Waterfront which opened in 1997.

JoAnn Falletta, the UO’s 12th Principal Conductor and the first female and first American to be appointed to the post.

Conductor Stephen Bell applauds with the 1000–strong audience, as Ballyclare High School ‘guest’ conductor, A/S music student Ryan Greer, conducts the UO during its educational concert Time Travel.

Each year 30,000 people benefit from the Orchestra’s education concerts and outreach programmes, like one KS2 pupil who took part in the 2010 Sound Waves programme.

Sir James Galway at the UO’s Flute Masterclass in April 2011.

Established in 1966, the Ulster Orchestra is Northern Ireland’s only professional symphony orchestra and a cornerstone of Northern Ireland’s diverse cultural life.

Its mission is to ‘enrich life through music’ and in all that it does the UO seeks to take people on a journey through a world of music that is rich, diverse and has the ability to draw people together from all walks of life, backgrounds and ages.

Orchestral First
The Orchestra has established itself as one of the major symphony orchestras in the United Kingdom and Ireland and gives 80–90 performances each year. JoAnn Falletta is the Orchestra’s 12th Principal Conductor and the first female and the first American to be appointed to the post. The New York Times described her as ‘…one of the finest conductors of her generation.”

Hungarian–born Tamás Kocsis leads the UO’s 62 full–time musicians whose main concert season takes place in the Ulster Hall and the Belfast Waterfront from September to June. The Orchestra also performs at venues across Northern Ireland and beyond, in places as diverse as the Alley Theatre in Strabane, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Millennium Forum in Derry/Londonderry and the gardens of Hillsborough Castle.

The Orchestra’s major funding partners include the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (its principal funder), the BBC and Belfast City Council. The Orchestra also plays an integral part in Northern Ireland’s economic life and values its growing relationship with businesses across the region.
 

Recordings
With some 70 recordings notably for Chandos, Naxos, BMG, Hyperion, Priory and Toccata Classics, the Ulster Orchestra also has a unique relationship with the BBC as its exclusive broadcast partner. Performances are relayed on BBC Radio 3, Radio Ulster and BBC TV. The mix of commercial recordings and streamed internet broadcasts has considerably enhanced the Orchestra’s international reputation

Awards
For its educational/community programmes (30,000 people of all ages and musical abilities take part in the Orchestra’s education concerts and outreach programmes each year) and approach to business, the Orchestra has won a number of awards which include:

• Inaugural Royal Philharmonic Society Educational Award (1998)
• London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Inspire Mark (2008)
• Allianz Arts & Business Award – Arts, Business and Employees category for The Building Blocks project with the Patton Group (2009)
• Allianz Arts & Business Award – Arts, Business and Young People category for the Up the Tempo project with the Ulster Bank (2009)
• Allianz Arts & Business Award – in recognition of its community work with The OUTLET (2010)
• Allianz Arts & Business Award – in recognition of its community work with JTI (2011)
• Belfast Business Awards – Best Marketing Initiative (2011).

2012–2013 Season

This Season, we honour the centenary of Britten’s birth and the bicentennials of Wagner and Verdi, while bringing you music from living composers like James MacMillan who will conduct his own work in the Ulster Hall.

What they say…

 “The Ulster Orchestra is one of our key cultural institutions. Having our own internationally–acclaimed professional orchestra helps to promote Northern Ireland’s image at home and abroad and makes a very positive statement about the region’s confidence in our creative and cultural assets.”

Roisín McDonough
Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, principal funder of the Ulster Orchestra.
 

“The Ulster Orchestra contributes in a huge way to the cultural life of Northern Ireland.  We at Patton Group want to be associated with that.  The Ulster Orchestra team strive for excellence, just as we do at Patton Group.  We derive a wonderful sense of well being in being able to help the Orchestra.”

David M Patton MBE
Patton Group Chairman, the Ulster Orchestra’s longest corporate sponsor.