Ulster Orchestra 2018/19 Season Brochure

SEASON 2018/19

EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC! To our valued audience.

It feels like we have reached the top of a very large mountain in my last Season, closer to Everest than Slieve Donard! To have the opportunity for us to play the great symphonies of Dmitri Shostakovich, alongside the complementary brilliance of Richard Strauss, says so much about our journey together these last 5 years.

I will always be grateful for the support you have shown me by coming in large numbers to Ulster Orchestra concerts and letting me know how much you value the artistry of these talented musicians.

We begin the season with two blockbuster works: Strauss’s Don Quixote and Shostakovich’s mighty Tenth Symphony. Alisa and I have loved performing in Belfast through the years and are thrilled about bringing Cervantes’s eponymous anti-hero to musical life, creating a complete contrast to the raw depiction of Stalin at his worst in the famous scherzo of the Tenth Symphony. Both Shostakovich and Strauss were war-time composers and giants of the twentieth century, but they had very different life experiences during the Second World War. Shostakovich remains forever fixed in the public imagination for his picture as a fireman fighting the blaze at the Leningrad Conservatory, demonstrating his unerring commitment to his fellow man. Strauss, an older man, sought a quieter life. He wasn’t a member of the Nazi party and it isn’t clear what drove his earlier tolerance of the regime. Taking an official position offered by the government seems to have been motivated to protect his Jewish daughter-in-law. From different backgrounds, both composers wrote music of exceptional intensity and humanity. We are proud to bring this massive cycle of Shostakovich and Strauss to Northern Ireland.

The biggest of the Shostakovich symphonies, his Fourth, features as part of the Association of British Orchestras' Annual Conference, which is being held in Belfast for the first time in over 20 years.

The symphony requires an orchestra of more than 100 players, so we will perform at the Belfast Waterfront. Dorothea Röschmann, one of the world’s finest sopranos, will join us in that programme to sing Strauss's deeply affecting Four Last Songs. This one is really not to be missed!

In the rest of the Season we continue to welcome my dear colleague Jac Van Steen, who will bring his wonderful musicianship and rigour to the music of Dvořák and Elgar. Jac has been a constant for the Ulster Orchestra for many years and I know you admire and respect his collaborations with the players. We are also pleased to welcome back Andrew Litton, after a long absence, to conduct Prokofiev’s Fourth Symphony. Andrew is an nternationally-recognised conductor and it is a special delight that he will be back. Other conductors in the Season show returns for Eivind Gullberg Jensen (following his very fine Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony), Daniele Rustioni and, for the first time in Belfast, Elim Chan, the highly regarded Principal Guest Conductor of the RSNO. You have become used to nternationally-recognised soloists in the last years, and this Season is no exception. Along with Ms. Röschmann, you can hear the talents of Barry Douglas, violinist Baiba Skride and pianist Steven Osborne among many others.

I am so happy for my partnership with you and with the Orchestra and feel really grateful for being part of this amazing journey we have taken together. My final concert of the Season, after completing the Brahms cycle in earlier concerts, features Mahler’s life-affirming mighty Fifth Symphony.

Northern Ireland will remain in my heart forever and I look forward to returning here in future seasons.

Rafael Payare Music Director

State e h t and s r e s o Comp

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CONTENTS Ulster Orchestra full concert series I

Christmas!

7-29 14-15

Pull-out Subscription Booking Form

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Lunchtime Concert Series

34-35

Ulster Orchestra‌ On Your Doorstep

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Ulster Orchestra Off Stage 37 Ulster Orchestra and the BBC

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Learning & Community Engagement

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Help keep the music playing!

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Exclusive offers for our Audience!

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Book your tickets

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Offers & Discounts

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2018/19 Season at a glance

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PRECONCERT TALKS

All 2018/19 Season concerts will have a free pre-concert talk at 7pm in the auditorium. Check the Ulster Orchestra website or your concert ticket for further details – all are welcome!

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

GALA OPENING CONCERT:

Composers and the

State

DON QUIXOTE ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2018, 7.45pm Strauss Don Quixote Shostakovich Symphony No.10 Rafael Payare Conductor Alisa Weilerstein Cello Richard Strauss was by no means the first composer to be inspired

by Cervantes's comic novel Don Quixote, but his set of ‘Fantastic Variations’ is by far the most elaborate and detailed exploration of the spectacular exploits of the insane Don. The character of Don Quixote is played out by a cello solo in writing that is full of nobility, grace and gorgeous singing lines. It is a tour de force, using every inch of the cellist’s abilities, both technical and emotional – no one better to take on the role than the wonderful Alisa Weilerstein!

Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony was first performed in 1953.

He had been denounced for a second time in 1948 and had been writing patriotic music for public consumption, in order to be rehabilitated. Stalin’s death in March of that year saw the premières of many works he had quietly written ‘for the drawer’ in those years following his denunciation, of which the Tenth Symphony is one. Widely regarded as the most masterful of all Shostakovich's symphonies, it is a tribute to the triumph of the individual spirit against oppression, a telling of what life was like under Stalin – not just for him, but for millions of individuals across Russia.

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm with Rafael Payare & Alisa Weilerstein.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORTHERN IRELAND OPERA

RIGOLETTO

By Giuseppe Verdi

GRAND OPERA HOUSE, BELFAST 30 SEPTEMBER 2018, 6pm (CHARITY GALA) 2, 4 & 6 OCTOBER 2018, 7.30pm Gareth Hancock Conductor Walter Sutcliffe Director Kaspar Glarner Set & Costume Designer Wolfgang Goebbel Lighting Designer Ulster Orchestra Northern Ireland Opera, in co-operation with the Ópera Nacional de Chile, presents Rigoletto

by Giuseppe Verdi. Sung in the original Italian, Rigoletto showcases opera’s greatest hits ‘La Donna e Mobile’ and ‘Caro Nome’.

Rigoletto hates his job, his boss and his colleagues. He feels trapped by his disability. He can’t get over his wife’s death. The only things that keep him going are his love for his only child Gilda and his hate for the rest of the world. But how long can he keep his child safe in the poisoned world that he has helped to create?

Multi-award winning Verdi baritone Sebastian Catana, in his UK debut, stars as Rigoletto, with Cardiff Singer of the World Nadine Koutcher as Gilda and Davide Giusti, winner at Placido Domingo’s Operalia World Opera Competition 2017, as the Duke of Mantua. Featuring the Chorus of Northern Ireland Opera and the Ulster Orchestra conducted by Gareth Hancock, this production is designed by Kaspar Glarner and directed by Northern Ireland Opera Artistic Director Walter Sutcliffe.

Charity Gala Performance Rigoletto will open with a Charity Gala Performance on 30 September 2018 in aid of Inspire and NI Hospice. Premium tickets will include admission to a champagne and supper post-show reception; a limited number of reception tickets will also be available for other ticket holders to purchase.

Sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Box Office: www.goh.co.uk | 028 9024 1919

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

BEETHOVEN & PROKOFIEV’S FOURTHS ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER 2018, 7.45pm Rossini Overture: William Tell Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 Prokofiev Symphony No.4 Andrew Litton Conductor Steven Osborne Piano Quite astonishingly, not only did Beethoven conduct and perform the solo piano part at the première of his Fourth Piano Concerto, in the same concert he also conducted the premières of his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies! This concert does not require the same feat of endurance, but instead pairs this deeply affecting concerto with the expansive grandeur of Prokofiev’s Fourth Symphony.

The keynote of this concerto could be said to be 'seeking serenity', starting – unusually for a concerto – with the soloist quietly introducing the first movement. The mood throughout is reflective, intimate and quietly confident, wearing its innovative approach lightly and the overall effect is utterly radiant. Our soloist is Steven Osborne, one of the world’s leading interpreters of Beethoven and for whom the Fourth Piano Concerto has an ambiguity akin to the smile of the Mona Lisa.

Prokofiev’s Fourth Symphony shares musical roots with his final ballet for Diaghilev, The Prodigal Son, with the symphony developing and reworking themes and unused material from the ballet. The music is lyrical, full of bittersweet melody and rhythms that demonstrate the importance of dance in the composer’s career.

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

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LUSH! CLASSICAL

22 Years of Dance Music Classics SSE ARENA SATURDAY 13 OCTOBER 2018, 8pm For the last two years, Lush! has produced one of the most spectacular events held in Northern Ireland. Lush! Classical is a phenomenal, breathtaking event featuring world-renowned DJs, live vocalists and of course, the Ulster Orchestra, performing floor fillers from the past 20 years, all produced in conjunction with Kylie Minogue’s musical director. And the results have been simply out of this world. The last two events sold out the SSE Arena in advance, with 10,000 people aged 18 to 65 brought together in an electric atmosphere, dancing the night away to classics like For An Angel, Insomnia and Such A Good Feeling - and now it's happening all over again! This event is strictly over 18s only.

Tickets: £50 / £36 / £33. Only available from www.ticketmaster.ie

TCHAIKOVSKY’S SIXTH ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 2018, 7.45pm

Anna Clyne This Midnight Hour Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6 Pathétique Eivind Gullberg Jensen Conductor Alexander Gavrylyuk Piano Chopin wrote his piano concertos when he was moving from Poland to Paris and they were designed to showcase his skills as a virtuoso performer. In this Second Piano Concerto, musical ideas introduced by the orchestra are given new passion and invention by the soloist, the second movement is a heartfelt nocturne and the final rondo is full of the mazurka rhythms of Chopin’s homeland.

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To perform the Concerto, a modern-day virtuoso. Alexander Gavrylyuk last performed with the Ulster Orchestra in 2016 and he will be the perfect performer to bring Chopin’s work to life.

“Such blow-your-socks-off virtuosity is complemented with a dark, intense, ferociously concentrated essence and nature… we shall surely be hearing a lot more of this prodigiously gifted young pianist and life force.”

Gramophone Magazine The concert closes with Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, misnamed the Pathétique (a closer translation from the Russian would be ‘passionate’). Mahler, Shostakovich and Sibelius are just some of the composers who are unlikely to have written what they did without Tchaikovsky’s Sixth to pave the way

and it is considered by both audiences and the composer himself as the best thing he ever wrote.

In association with Belfast International Arts Festival

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

I THE MOVIES! BELFAST WATERFRONT SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER 2018, 7.45pm Pete Harrison Conductor This highly popular film themed concert, which is now a firm fixture in the Ulster Orchestra’s Pops Series, will certainly have you under its spell this Halloween! Let the Orchestra take you on a spine-tingling journey to a world of villains, wizards and scary beasts. This spooktacular concert brings your all-time favourite blockbuster soundtracks to life, celebrating iconic films such as Psycho, Jaws, Harry Potter and Gremlins. Perfect for movie fans of all ages. Just remember to check the seat behind you…! *Fancy dress is encouraged!

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In association with Belfast International Arts Festival

MUSIC OF AMERICA

ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2018, 7.45pm Ives The Unanswered Question Bernstein Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium) Dvořák Symphony No.9 From the New World Jac van Steen Conductor Baiba Skride Violin What should American music be? Antonín Dvořák had been hired as Director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York to show American composers how to create a new national style of music for the United States. It was Dvořák’s belief that a truly national music could only derive from the nation’s folk traditions, so it was here he began his musical research. As a result, elements of Native and African American traditional music made their way into his Ninth Symphony, From the New World.

Bernstein, on the other hand, championed the idea that American music should be eclectic – as you would expect from a composer who wrote jazz for the concert hall and symphonic music for Broadway. His Serenade is a perfect example. Inspired by Stravinsky and structured in the style of an Ancient Greek symposium, where each speaker responds to the ideas of the speaker before, each movement evolves out of ideas presented in the previous movement. The Serenade’s moods act almost like a portrait of Bernstein himself and to create this musical likeness we welcome back violinist Baiba Skride.

PRECONCERT TALK

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Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

SCHUBERT’S THE GREAT ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2018, 7.45pm Busoni Overture: Lustspiel Mozart Violin Concerto No.3 Schubert Symphony No.9 Great Daniele Rustioni Conductor Francesca Dego Violin “During the meal we had some music. ... I played my Strassburg Concerto, which went like oil. Everyone praised my beautiful, pure tone.”

(Mozart writing to his father, 1777) Mozart’s Strassburg Concerto is better known as his Third Violin Concerto, the Strassburger being a popular folk tune which inspires the closing rondo. His prodigious invention runs throughout and the second movement was described by eminent Mozart scholar Alfred Einstein as “an Adagio that seems to have fallen straight from heaven”.

Much like Mozart, our soloist Francesca Dego is renowned for her tone, with BBC Music Magazine commenting that “Francesca Dego’s fine-spun tonal purity and spotless intonational poise are exceptionally beguiling…”

The concerto is paired with Schubert’s Symphony No.9, nicknamed Great (though this stems from a mistranslation; it’s actually ‘large’).

This is writing with the sort of ambition and scale that only Beethoven rivalled at the time – the overall effect is like walking through a vast landscape and, despite that mistranslation, by its end it’s well and truly earned the nickname Great.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

Composers and the

State

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

SHOSTAKOVICH'S SYMPHONY NO.8 ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2018, 7.45pm Strauss Le bourgeois gentilhomme Shostakovich Symphony No.8 Rafael Payare Conductor Tamás Kocsis Violin Le bourgeois gentilhomme started life as the incidental music to Molière’s play and, much like Don Quixote (performed on 14 September), Strauss’s incidental music scores the main protagonists of the story as the tale unfolds. Written with a strong Baroque flavour, the romantic and comic misadventures of M. Jourdain’s desperate attempts at social climbing are humorously depicted in this charming work.

In February 1943, the German army was defeated at Stalingrad, causing huge pride and celebration across Russia. Shostakovich wasn’t entirely sure this was cause for joy – rather, he feared it would give Stalin licence to wield his terrible power more than before.

The Eighth Symphony was written in September of that year and in public, Shostakovich described it as "an attempt to reflect the terrible tragedy of war". However, in private he described it as a poem of suffering, stating that "the war brought much new sorrow and much new destruction, but I haven’t forgotten the terrible pre-war years".

Despite a positive reaction from audiences, the authorities attacked it for being anti-Soviet, and ultimately in 1948 it led to Shostakovich’s second denunciation.

The work starts in suffering and anguish, but Shostakovich was an optimist at heart and by its end, as he said himself: "All that is dark and evil rots away, and beauty triumphs."

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CHRISTMAS!

PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITIES IN THE FOYER BEFORE EACH PERFORMANCE

Image © Snowman Enterprises Ltd.

THE SNOWMAN FAMILY CONCERT

BELFAST WATERFRONT SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018, 2pm, 4.30pm Christopher Bell Conductor This beloved animated film is cherished by adults and children alike.

A special family concert for all ages, this will leave your little ones spellbound and create lasting memories for the whole family.

Join the Ulster Orchestra and young guest soloists for magic and adventure in this big-screen, classic tale of a small boy whose snowman comes to life.

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HANDEL’S MESSIAH BELFAST WATERFRONT FRIDAY 7 DECEMBER 2018, 7.30pm SATURDAY 8 DECEMBER 2018, 7.30pm Laurence Cummings Conductor Ailish Tynan Soprano Cécile van de Sant Alto Nicholas Mulroy Tenor Njål Sparbo Baritone Belfast Philharmonic Choir Handel's Messiah is a miracle in itself. A true gift of musical and spiritual expression that is the single most-performed piece of classical music, year-on-year, than any other. If you’ve never heard it, don’t miss the opportunity to experience all the glory, celebration and joy of this timeless, inspirational masterpiece.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS BELFAST WATERFRONT WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2018, 7.45pm Anthony Weeden Conductor Shona Lindsay Vocals Michael Dore Vocals Belfast Philharmonic Choir Following its huge success last year, this magical concert is now a central part of the Orchestra’s annual festive offering. This spectacular show, which also features West End stars Shona Lindsay and Michael Dore, includes all your Seasonal favourites – with songs such as Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, it’ll definitely ‘look a lot like Christmas’!

VIENNA!

BELFAST WATERFRONT FRIDAY 4 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm Christoph Altstaedt Conductor

Vienna! Ah Vienna! Let the Ulster Orchestra and charismatic guest performers take you to the glittering world of Strauss for the waltz of your life! Welcome the New Year with an uplifting and enchanting evening of much-loved Viennese music from the Merry Widow to the Blue Danube – and not forgetting that all-time favourite, the Radetzky March!

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WELCOME

From the Arts Council The Ulster Orchestra has long been one of the cornerstones of our creative and cultural infrastructure, maintaining a standard of musical excellence in Northern Ireland that would not otherwise be possible. Its highly trained and talented professional musicians provide audiences with a challenging programme of major symphonic works that would test any of the world’s leading orchestras – the War Symphonies of Shostakovich and in particular his majestic 4th Symphony stand out in this season’s programme.

They also provide the instrumental backbone to the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and, another of our outstanding local success stories, Northern Ireland Opera.

The Orchestra’s current three-year development strategy is commendably ambitious in its vision. It marks the beginning of a new era for the Ulster Orchestra, as it expands outwards from its base at the Ulster Hall and takes music directly into society, to wherever people wish to hear it: in schools, community centres, church halls and outdoor venues across the region.

There is renewed emphasis on making the work of the orchestra more accessible to everyone, with the musicians of the Ulster Orchestra devoting more time to Learning and Community Engagement than any other symphony orchestra in the UK. The Arts Council, as principal funder, is proud that our investment of public and National Lottery funds is supporting the Ulster Orchestra through its evolution into an orchestra for the whole of Northern Ireland.

Roisin McDonough Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland

The Ulster Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the major support from its principal funder, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

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PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

BRAHMS’S 2ND PIANO CONCERTO ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 18 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 Sibelius Symphony No.2 Gabriel Bebeselea Conductor Boris Giltburg Piano Brahms was an absolute master of writing for the piano. He knew the sonorities of the instrument so well and was able to blend tenderness with drama in the most remarkable of ways. His Second Piano Concerto opens gently, but as it unfolds and expands, tonight’s soloist, Boris Giltburg, says: “Brahms creates a huge soundspace – you could fit mountains and meadows and a sunrise in it… you find everything in the concerto, with depth and lightness, happiness and pain, struggle and contentedness all equally present. If it does indeed describe a life, or a slice of it, then performing it equates to having lived this full and very interesting life…”

Sibelius wrote his Second Symphony while travelling in Italy and always claimed that it was inspired by the story of Don Juan, while Finnish audiences heard in it their struggle for independence from Russia.

Whichever story you believe, the Second brings this concert to a richly romantic close.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

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BURNS NIGHT!

BELFAST WATERFRONT SATURDAY 19 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm John Logan Conductor

Join the Ulster Orchestra and friends for a ceilidh’s-worth of toetapping jigs, reels and, of course, the songs and poetry of ‘The Bard’ himself, Robert Burns! The Orchestra’s annual Burns Night concert is the ultimate celebration of the cultural links between Scotland and Northern Ireland and has become a firm fixture in the calendar.

It’s the hottest ticket in town, so don’t miss out – bring on the haggis!

In association with the Ulster-Scots Agency

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ABO SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

FOUR LAST SONGS

Composers and the

State

BELFAST WATERFRONT THURSDAY 24 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm Strauss Four Last Songs Shostakovich Symphony No.4 Rafael Payare Conductor Dorothea Röschmann Soprano

Richard Strauss finished a prolific career as a writer of songs with four of the most sublime ever written, composed for his beloved soprano voice. Four Last Songs was completed the year before he died and inspired by the poets Josef von Eichendorff and Herman Hesse, Four Last Songs tackles the subject of death with serenity and acceptance. The glorious lyricisim of the writing demands a singer of soaring radiance and in Dorothea Röschmann we welcome one of the great sopranos performing today. “…the intelligence and commitment of her performance elevate the poetry.”

(Gramophone Magazine) Shostakovich was midway through writing the Fourth Symphony when Pravda denounced him for the first time, following Stalin’s visit to see Lady MacBeth of the Mtsensk District. He was under enormous pressure from the State to write a work that would restore his reputation, but the caricatured moods, violence and claustrophobia of the Fourth Symphony definitely did not fit the Communist Ideal the State would have preferred and Shostakovich cancelled the première. Instead his Fifth Symphony was the work to restore his reputation – a work which, it could be argued, hid his criticism and mockery of Stalin with more subtlety.

Shostakovich’s motivations and meanings may be unclear but listening to the Fourth reveals an enormous work on a huge scale.

As part of the Association of British Orchestras’ Annual Conference, the Ulster Orchestra is delighted to welcome professional musicians from across Europe to create the huge orchestral force this work demands – over 100 musicians will take to the stage for this collaboration across the classical music industry.

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

BELFAST HOSTS ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH ORCHESTRAS' ANNUAL CONFERENCE The Ulster Orchestra is proud to host the annual conference of the Association of British Orchestras from 23-25 January 2019.

Last held in Belfast in 1999, the ABO Conference is the UK’s leading conference for the classical music industry.

The ABO is the national body representing the collective interests of professional orchestras and youth ensembles.

Its mission is to enable and support an innovative, collaborative and sustainable orchestral sector by providing advice, support, intelligence and information to the people who make British orchestras a global success.

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

INSPIRED

BY BACH

ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2019, 7.45pm Bach arr. Webern Ricercar Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht Brahms Symphony No.4 Rafael Payare Conductor Bach is the thread that runs through this concert programme, opening with Webern’s beautiful arrangement of Bach’s Ricercar, a six-voice fugue from The Musical Offering.

Brahms’s Fourth Symphony sees him draw heavily on his fascination with Bach and the Baroque era. He weaves rhythms, harmonies and variation patterns straight from Bach into a work that is, somehow, entirely Brahmsian in character. And we meet in Schoenberg a composer who loved both Bach and Brahms (he dubbed the latter ‘the Progressive’ in a famous essay); Verklärte Nacht is partly inspired by Brahms, partly by Wagner, and is full of lush and passionate melody.

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PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2019, 7.45pm

Schumann Overture: Manfred Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Schumann Symphony No.2 Rafael Payare Conductor Guy Braunstein Violin Tchaikovsky composed his Violin Concerto in the aftermath of escaping a disastrous and ill-advised marriage after just nine weeks. The outer movements see sparks of excitement and virtuosity fly, whilst the Adagio is beautifully lyrical and full of melancholy. Guy Braunstein explores this work with the Ulster Orchestra.

“His playing revealed the soul of a poet… Braunstein’s performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto won many admirers; it eschewed outward glamour but got to the heart of the work.”

(Birmingham Post) Schumann’s Second Symphony looks to Bach counterpoint and the songs of Beethoven for its inspiration and is awash with blazing colours and ferocious emotional intensity – a reflection of the fact that Schumann, too, was writing at a time of great personal turmoil.

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PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

BEETHOVEN NO.7 ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2019, 7.45pm

Jörg Widmann Con Brio Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No.7 Rafael Payare Conductor Veronika Eberle Violin Veronika Eberle, the rising German star whose playing was recently described as “…undeniably of the first rank, unblemished and of crystalline purity…” (Bachtrack) performs Mendelssohn's enchanting and well-loved concerto in this concert, where it is joined by Jörg Widmann’s Con Brio and the work which inspired it, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.

Full of power and drama, the gravitas in the symphony’s second movement was perfect for the soundtrack of the 2010 film The King’s Speech and the finale was apparently summed up by Tchaikovsky as “A whole series of images, full of unrestrained joy, full of bliss and pleasure of life”.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

I IRISH MUSIC! BELFAST WATERFRONT SATURDAY 16 MARCH 2019, 7.45pm David Brophy Conductor Join in the festivities for St Patrick’s Day with the Ulster Orchestra, who will bring some of the finest music to hail from these shores to the stage of Belfast Waterfront. Internationallyrenowned special guests will join the Orchestra and conductor David Brophy for an evening of iconic songs and music.

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LENINGRAD! ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 22 MARCH 2019, 7.45pm Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra Shostakovich Symphony No.7 Leningrad Rafael Payare Conductor Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra opens with Sunrise, the movement made famous after its inclusion on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, but there’s much more to this work. Inspired by Nietzsche’s philosophical novel of the same name, Strauss’s tone poem explores the development of humankind, from the Birth of Reason in that opening Sunrise through to the piece’s enigmatic end – the question of the balance between humanity and the universe is explored, but not resolved.

The writing of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony took place during the siege of Leningrad and the common knowledge that he was writing a work in support of the Russian people’s resistance to the Nazis was of huge, morale-boosting importance. Though Shostakovich subsequently made it clear that the work was not solely about the Nazis, but all forms of fascism and terror – and in fact he had begun work on the piece before the Nazi invasion, so the work was inspired by the oppression of the Stalinist regime as much as Hitler’s – the work was particularly potent with resonance for the inhabitants of Leningrad. From the first movement’s repeated, unrelenting ‘invasion theme’, to a final (for now…) victory through resilience, this powerful symphony tells the story of the Russian people's resistance in the midst of tragedy and suffering - their dogged hope and individual courage - which led to their eventual victory.

PRECONCERT TALK

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Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

Composers and the

State

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

SAINT-SAËNS’ EGYPTIAN ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 5 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm

Franck Les Éolides Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.5 Egyptian Elgar Symphony No.1 Jac van Steen Conductor Louis Schwizgebel Piano This concert makes its way to Egypt by way of Greece (Les Éolides being inspired by the daughters of the winds from ancient Greek mythology), for Saint-Saëns’ delightful Fifth Piano Concerto. Saint-Saëns was an inveterate traveller with a particular love for North Africa and this concerto earns its nickname not only because it was written on one of the composer’s many holidays in Luxor, but also because it is some of Saint-Saëns’ most exotic writing, containing references to Javanese, Spanish and Middle Eastern musical traditions.

Our soloist Louis Schwizgebel has recorded this concerto, with BBC Music Magazine commenting that “Schwizgebel’s touch is gorgeously singing and wonderfully delicate, but can sharpen to serious bling when occasion demands - and he applies it judiciously. Throughout he shows exemplary musical taste and good sense, whilst making Saint-Saëns' most fiendish passagework sound utterly effortless.”

Elgar turned his hand to symphonic composition later in life but it proved worth the wait – his First Symphony was premièred to a rapturous response in 1908, with a slow movement that is counted amongst his most beautiful writing.

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

MOZART'S REQUIEM

ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm Mozart Symphony No.29 Brahms Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) Mozart Requiem Rafael Payare Conductor Aoife Miskelly Soprano Rachel Kelly Alto Robin Tritschler Tenor Edwin Crossley-Mercer Bass Belfast Philharmonic Choir

The story behind Mozart’s Requiem is a total page-turner – from the odd commission, issued anonymously from Count von Walsegg (who intended to pass the work off as his own to commemorate the death of his wife) to an already-ill Mozart who believed he had been cursed to write his own requiem, through his first attempt to take on writing a Mass for the Dead and finding an extraordinary voice in which to do so, to his untimely death at the age of 35, leaving it only two-thirds completed. To add further intrigue, when the unfinished manuscript was displayed in Brussels in the 1950s, it was discovered that a section had been torn from the last page. As Mozart worked on the Requiem on his deathbed, it’s highly likely that someone stole the last notes ever written by the composer. It’s no wonder Hollywood made a film about it.

All drama aside though, Mozart’s writing fuses all his historical researches in counterpoint with his own advanced style into a piece that is extraordinarily powerful and uniquely heartbreaking.

The Requiem looks death in the face in an attitude of profound sadness and loss throughout, though the sublime Recordare gives a glimpse at the serenity of Paradise. The heart-wrenching beauty of the work is a stunning and revolutionary final work from one of the world’s foremost musical geniuses.

PRECONCERT TALK

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Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

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PULL-OUT BOOKING FORM

GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA’S EXCITING NEW SEASON! • Priority booking period!

Benefit from a designated booking period, ahead of the general public.

• Enjoy exclusive discounts up to 25%!

Subscribe to the Season and start saving money on four or more tickets.

• 10% discount on Lunchtime concerts!

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And if you’re a returning Subscriber, let us know where you normally sit and we’ll do our very best to allocate your choice of seat where possible.

Subscribing is the most popular way for anyone to buy Ulster Orchestra concert tickets. It’s straightforward, full of benefits and great value! Book four or more concerts and you’ll immediately begin to save. And the more you book, the more you’ll benefit, with up to as much as 25% off your tickets for a full Season subscription.

Simply tick the concerts you want on the booking form overleaf, then use the handy Subscription Discount Pricing Table to see how much you’ll save (and then you might want to add a couple more!).

EXCLUSIVE PRIORITY BOOKING PERIOD FOR SUBSCRIBERS ENDS ON FRIDAY 8 JUNE 2018

• Spread the cost!

Choose how to pay – by cheque, card, or why not set up a standing order and enjoy interest-free payments over six months?

GO FOR GOLD!

A GOLD Subscription (all 17 season concerts) is the brightest ticket in town and the best way to secure your favourite seats AND benefit from 25% discount off the full package!

• Special bonus for Gold subscribers!

Book all 17 concerts and you’ll be invited to an exclusive reception, hosted by Music Director Rafael Payare in his spectacular final Season with the Ulster Orchestra, along with the opportunity to meet Ulster Orchestra musicians!

For Office use only: UO Date Received

Priority Number

Subscription Booking Form

Season 2018/19: Subscription Price Bands BELFAST WATERFRONT

ULSTER HALL

• Carefully complete each section of this form • Return it to the Ulster Orchestra using the FREEPOST address overleaf

PRICE BAND I

• Please only use this booking form to subscribe.

Subscription bookings need to be processed carefully and so cannot be completed by phone or at the Box Office counter.

PRICE BAND II PRICE BAND III PRICE BAND IV PRICE BAND V

• Please be patient – the Box Office will process your booking and contact you if they require anything else from you.

Row 5 (Restricted view)

PRICE BAND VI

1. CHOOSE WHERE YOU’D LIKE TO SIT a) If you are a previous subscriber and already know your usual row and seat, please specify here.

Remember, we cannot guarantee this seat but will do our best.

Season 2018/19: Subscription Discount Pricing Table Remember, the more you book, the more you save! This handy discount pricing table will help you complete your subscription booking form.

PRICE BAND I

PRICE BAND II

PRICE BAND III

1 CONCERT

£32.00

£29.00

£24.50

2 CONCERTS

£64.00

£58.00

£49.00

3 CONCERTS

£96.00

£87.00

£73.50

PRICE BAND IV

PRICE BAND V

PRICE BAND VI

£20.00

£17.50

£10.00

£40.00

£35.00

£20.00

£60.00

£52.50

£30.00

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

SUBSCRIPTION DISCOUNTS BEGIN AFTER ONLY FOUR CONCERTS

£115.20

£104.40

£88.20

£72.00

£63.00

5 CONCERTS

4 CONCERTS

10%

£144.00

£130.50

£110.25

£90.00

£78.75

£45.00

6 CONCERTS

£172.80

£156.60

£132.30

£108.00

£94.50

£54.00

7 CONCERTS

£201.60

£182.70

£154.35

£126.00

£110.25

£63.00 £72.00

8 CONCERTS

£230.40

£208.80

£176.40

£144.00

£126.00

£259.20

£234.90

£198.45

£162.00

£141.75

£81.00

10 CONCERTS

£288.00

£261.00

£220.50

£180.00

£157.50

£90.00

£299.20

£271.15

£229.08

£187.00

£163.63

£93.50

£326.40

£295.80

£249.90

£204.00

£178.50

£102.00

11 CONCERTS

15%

13 CONCERTS 14 CONCERTS

21%

£353.60

£320.45

£270.73

£221.00

£193.38

£110.50

£353.92

£320.74

£270.97

£221.20

£193.55

£110.60

15 CONCERTS

£379.20

£343.65

£290.33

£237.00

£207.38

£118.50

16 CONCERTS

£404.48

£366.56

£309.68

£252.80

£221.20

£126.40

£408.00

£369.75

£312.38

£255.00

£223.13

£127.50

17 CONCERTS

25%

ROW

SEAT

b) If you don’t know your row and seat number, please tell us which price band / seating block you’d like to sit in (see the seating plan opposite) and we will do our best to accommodate you in this area.

PRICE BAND:

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

£36.00

9 CONCERTS

12 CONCERTS

BLOCK

SEATING BLOCK c) If you know the block/row and seat number in Belfast Waterfront that you usually sit in, please specify here:

* P lease note, if you are including the 24 January 2019 concert in your subscription package but do not have a preferred seat in Belfast Waterfront, you will be allocated seating in your chosen Price Band.

2. NOW MAKE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION CONCERT CHOICES

4. NOW ADD ANY NON-SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS

You can select as many concerts as you want to create your subscription (MINIMUM OF FOUR CONCERTS). Remember, the more you book, the more you save.

SAVE 25% BY SELECTING ALL SEVENTEEN CONCERTS!

Why not take this opportunity to also book your tickets to the following other Ulster Orchestra performances now. Write the number of tickets required in the boxes below. Note that these concerts are priced differently from subscription concerts and some take place in Belfast Waterfront. Choose your price band and we’ll allocate your seat accordingly.

Gala Opening Concert: Don Quixote

FRI 14 SEP 2018

Beethoven’s & Prokofiev’s Fourths

FRI 5 OCT 2018

Incl. Strauss’s Don Quixote & Shostakovich’s Symphony No.10 Incl. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 & Prokofiev’s Symphony No.4

Tchaikovsky's Sixth

FRI 19 OCT 2018

Music of America

FRI 2 NOV 2018

Incl. Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2 & Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 Incl. Bernstein’s Serenade & Dvořák’s Symphony No.9

Schubert’s The Great

FRI 16 NOV 2018

Shostakovich Symphony No.8

FRI 30 NOV 2018

Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto

FRI 18 JAN 2019

Incl. Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.3 & Schubert’s Symphony No.9 Incl. Strauss’s Le bourgeois gentilhomme & Shostakovich’s Symphony No.8 Incl. Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.2 & Sibelius’s Symphony No.2

PRICE BAND POPS SERIES (Belfast Waterfront) I love the Movies!

SAT 27 OCT 2018

I love Burns Night!

SAT 19 JAN 2019

I love Irish Music!

SAT 16 MAR 2019

I love the 80s!

SAT 27 APR 2019

I love Country!

SAT 11 MAY 2019

PRICE BAND FESTIVE SERIES (Belfast Waterfront)

Four Last Songs

THU 24 JAN 2019

Inspired by Bach

FRI 8 FEB 2019

Handel’s Messiah

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

FRI 22 FEB 2019

The Magic of Christmas

WED 19 DEC 2018

Beethoven No.7

FRI 8 MAR 2019

Vienna!

FRI 4 JAN 2019

Leningrad!

FRI 22 MAR 2019

Incl. Strauss’s Four Last Songs & Shostakovich’s Symphony No.4 Incl. Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht & Brahms’s Symphony No.4 Incl. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto & Schumann’s Symphony No.2 Incl. Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto & Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 Incl. Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra & Shostakovich’s Symphony No.7

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

£30

£30

£25

£25

£25

£20

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

£30

£30

£25

£25

£25

£20

FRI 7 DEC 2018 SAT 8 DEC 2018

PRICE BAND

ADULT CHILD FAMILY (UNDER 16)

Saint-Saëns’ Egyptian

FRI 5 APR 2019

Mozart's Requiem

FRI 19 APR 2019

Variations on a Rococo Theme

FRI 26 APR 2019

Rachmaninov’s Second

FRI 10 MAY 2019

UO LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES – SEATING UNRESERVED SUBSCRIBERS SAVE 10% OFF REGULAR PRICE OF £7.50

Season Finale: Mahler’s Fifth

FRI 24 MAY 2019

UO Lunchtime Concert: Night on Bald Mountain

THU 20 SEP 2018

UO Lunchtime Concert: Magi and Kings

THU 13 DEC 2018

UO Lunchtime Concert: Czech Selection

THU 14 FEB 2019

UO Lunchtime Concert: Mozart's Horn Concerto No.4

THU 11 APR 2019

UO Lunchtime Concert: Hungarian Spice

THU 16 MAY 2019

Total Cost of all Non-Subscription Concerts

£

Incl. Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No.5 & Elgar’s Symphony No.1 Incl. Brahms’s Song of Destiny & Mozart’s Requiem Incl. Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme & Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.3 Incl. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 & Stravinsky’s Petrushka Incl. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.20 & Mahler’s Symphony No.5

Now, count up the number of concerts you’ve chosen.

TOTAL NUMBER OF CONCERTS

3. CALCULATE THE COST OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

FESTIVE SERIES (Belfast Waterfront) The Snowman Family Concert

£15

£11.50

£49

ADD. CHILD

£6

SAT 1 DEC 2018, 2PM SAT 1 DEC 2018, 4.30PM

£6.75

Referring to the Subscription Discount Pricing Table opposite for your chosen price band and number of concerts, calculate the cost of your subscription: Total no. of concerts

Cost of one subscription package

(See Subs Pricing Table)

Number of subscribers (e.g. “2” if you are a couple)

DATA PROTECTION – PLEASE READ Your details will be held and processed on Belfast Waterfront/Ulster Hall’s and the Ulster Orchestra’s marketing and box office databases, and we may wish to reach you by any one of your contact details in order to administrate your booking and to send you information on our programme of events. Your details are stored securely and in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

5. NOW ADD UP THE COSTS TOTAL COST OF SUBSCRIPTIONS (FROM PART 3):

£

TOTAL COST OF NON-SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS (FROM PART 4): £ GRAND TOTAL AMOUNT PAYABLE:

£

6. YOUR DETAILS (REQUIRED) NAME ADDRESS

POST CODE DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER

7. MAKE A DONATION TO YOUR ULSTER ORCHESTRA

MOBILE PHONE NUMBER

Any gift, large or small, makes a huge difference to our ability to reach out to the heart of Northern Ireland and bring the joy of classical music to as wide an audience as possible. It also supports our education and outreach activities, working with some of the most disadvantaged and disenfranchised people, young and old, in our communities.

EMAIL ADDRESS Do you have any other special requirements that we need to know about?

7. CHOOSE A METHOD OF PAYMENT

I would like to pay by cheque.

Please do NOT send cheques at this stage.

The Box Office will contact you.

I would like to pay by Debit/Credit Card The Box Office will be in touch with you to arrange payment by card.

Payment by Standing Order – spread payments across six months If you are returning your Subscription form before 8 June 2018 and would like to spread the cost of your Subscription across six manageable monthly payments, please tick this box and we will send you a Standing Order form.

FINALLY, PLEASE POST YOUR COMPLETED BOOKING FORM TO: FREEPOST Ulster Orchestra 9 Gloucester Street Belfast BT1 4LS POSTAGE IS FREE! NO STAMP REQUIRED But do feel free to help the UO save every little bit by adding a stamp if you wish.

I would like to donate

£

YOU CAN SEND A DONATION CHEQUE WITH THIS SUBSCRIPTION FORM, PAYABLE TO ‘ULSTER ORCHESTRA’

If you are a UK taxpayer you can use Gift Aid to make your donations go further. If you Gift Aid your donation, the Ulster Orchestra can claim tax relief of 25p on every pound you donate.

DECLARATION: I would like to Gift Aid all future donations until further notice. I am a taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

SIGNATURE

Please notify us if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address, or you no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

VARIATIONS ON A ROCOCO THEME ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 26 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm

Andrea Tarrodi Camelopardalis Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme Bruch Kol Nidrei Mendelssohn Symphony No.3 Scottish Elim Chan Conductor Alexey Stadler Cello This concert features not one, but two delightful pieces for rising star cellist, Alexey Stadler, making his debut with the Ulster Orchestra. The Rococo Variations reflect Tchaikovsky’s adoration of the music of Mozart, a composer he revered above all, and they present a dazzling package of virtuoso cello-writing.

Bruch’s warm and richly evocative Kol Nidrei was written for Liverpool’s Jewish community when Bruch was Principal Conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic, and is based on two traditional Hebrew melodies.

Mendelssohn’s Third Symphony, the Scottish, was inspired by his holidays in the British Isles and is full of Highland flavour, with swinging melodies and even a hint of a typical thunderstorm!

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

I THE 80S! BELFAST WATERFRONT SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm Stephen Bell Conductor Alison Jiear Vocals

THE HAIR! THE FASHION! THE MUSIC! WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THE 80S?!

The Ulster Orchestra has made its own special mixtape just for you. Featuring chart-topping hits such as Radio Ga Ga, Total Eclipse of the Heart, It’s Raining Men and many more, you’ll have the Time of your Life at this performance!

So get your leg warmers on and backcomb that hair… you definitely won’t want to stay in the corner for this one!

The Final Countdown is on! *80s attire encouraged Special VIP Package available!

Includes drinks reception and aftershow 80s disco.

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

RACHMANINOV’S SECOND ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 10 MAY 2019, 7.45pm Patrick Brennan Cycling Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 Stravinsky Petrushka Olari Elts Conductor Barry Douglas Piano Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto is often described as one of the best piano concertos ever written. A masterpiece of melodic writing and a sublime partnership between soloist and orchestra, it’s no surprise that it is a regular choice for castaways on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and not only will you remember that glorious second movement from the film Brief Encounter (amongst others), it was also pinched by songwriter Eric Carmen for his 1975 smash hit, All By Myself. We are delighted that Northern Ireland’s own virtuoso pianist, Barry Douglas, will perform it with the Orchestra.

“Douglas played purely Rachmaninoff….The audience went crazy when it was over.” (Theatre Jones) Stravinsky’s Petrushka took on a traditional Russian folk tale (the Russian Petrushka is a puppet much like the Italian Pinocchio or British Punch) for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and used all of the composer’s hallmark traits, such as repeating rhythms and melodies, bursts of bright harmony and traditional folk tunes, to create a work brim-full of atmosphere. As for the story, it’s the classic tale: Puppet comes to life, Puppet loves Ballerina, Ballerina loves Moor, a duel ensues – will Petrushka win the day…?

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

I COUNTRY! BELFAST WATERFRONT SATURDAY 11 MAY 2019, 7.45pm John Rigby Conductor Capital Voices Vocals Yee hah! If you’re a fan of American country music, you’ll love this concert! Performed by the wonderful Capital Voices, this rootin’ tootin’ tribute to the Grand Ole Opry features a fantastic playlist from legendary artists including Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. With songs such as The Gambler, Blanket on the Ground, Rhinestone Cowboy and Need You Now, you’ll be line dancing in the aisles!

Let those Country Roads take you to the Ulster Orchestra this May for a fantastic mix of old and new country hits!

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

SEASON FINALE:

MAHLER’S FIFTH ULSTER HALL FRIDAY 24 MAY 2019, 7.45pm Mozart Piano Concerto No.20 Mahler Symphony No.5 Rafael Payare Conductor Inon Barnatan Piano The 2018/19 Finale brings together two recurring themes from across the Season – symphonic pieces on a grand scale and composers taking new and radical approaches to their work.

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 is the first time the soloist is given completely different entry music to the orchestra, creating an entirely new style of dialogue between piano and orchestra. This dramatic concerto will be performed by the fantastic pianist Inon Barnatan.

“Barnatan elevated all three movements with his impeccable technique, inspired phrasing and gossamer touch…

He manifested a brightness of spirit, an alacrity perfectly in tune with the Mozart's quicksilver genius.”

(Houston Chronicle) The concert concludes with Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.

A work of intense emotion and epic scope, it is perhaps best known for its glorious fourth movement, which formed part of the soundtrack for the film Death in Venice. Conductor Herbert von Karajan believed that a great performance of Mahler’s Fifth should be a transformative experience and The Guardian has labelled the Rondo-Finale as "the finale to end all finales" – no better conclusion to the 2018/19 Season!

PRECONCERT TALK

Free pre-concert talk at 7pm

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

ULSTER ORCHESTRA LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES ALL SEATS JUST £7.50

SAVE 10% & BOOK ALL 5 CONCERTS FOR ONLY £33.75!

Try something new on your lunch break and join the Ulster Orchestra for a series of short, relaxing concerts for just £7.50!

The Ulster Orchestra’s Lunchtime Concert Series allows busy city-centre workers, tourists, retirees, students and many others to escape for a while and enjoy a short sample of the Ulster Orchestra in its full glory. Plus you’re not far from all your favourite cafés, bars and shops so can really make a day of it!

If you have never heard an orchestra live, why not start with a little lunchtime snack to whet your appetite?

You may come back for more!

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THE ORCHESTRA HAS PARTNERED WITH TEN SQUARE TO OFFER LUNCHTIME CONCERT GOERS A SPECIAL LUNCHTIME TREAT… Ten Square Hotel is proud to be the Ulster Orchestra’s Exclusive Lunchtime Concerts restaurant partner. Enjoy a warm welcome at this 4 star retreat in the heart of the city, just 10 minutes stroll from Belfast Waterfront and 2 minutes from the Ulster Hall at 10 Donegall Square South.

20% off any food in Jospers Restaurant or Linen Bar as well as Afternoon Tea is available to anyone who presents an Ulster Orchestra concert ticket on the day/ date of the show (as indicated on the ticket). This can be presented before or after the show.

Afternoon tea is served in the rooftop bar The Loft, overlooking City Hall and reservations are required 24 hours in advance. This promotion will not be applicable in conjunction with any other offer.

For reservations contact: 028 9024 1001 www.tensquare.co.uk reservations@tensquare.co.uk

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

ALL CONCERTS START AT 1.05PM THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2018

NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN

The unsettling strings; the thundering tune on bassoons, trombones and tuba… Mussorgsky’s depiction of the riotous dancing at a witches’ Sabbath is atmospheric in the extreme in this hugely popular piece.

Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain Debussy Petite Suite Falla El Amor Brujo Roberto González-Monjas Conductor Margaret Bridge Mezzo-soprano

THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2018

MAGI AND KINGS

Respighi’s Trittico Botticelliano is a work for chamber orchestra based on three Botticelli pictures, including the artist’s Adoration of the Magi. It evokes a feeling of medieval devotion, thanks to its inspiration from Gregorian chant melodies. It is paired with Sibelius’s lusciously Romantic incidental music for the play King Christian.

Tchaikovsky Polonaise from Eugene Onegin Respighi Trittico Botticelliano Sibelius Suite: King Christian II Ainars Rubikis Conductor

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2019

THURSDAY 16 MAY 2019

A delightful afternoon of Czech music, conducted by Czech Jiři Rožeň! Suk’s plea to the national Patron Saint to ensure the well-being of the Czech people awaits is joined by Kabeláč’s Fourth Symphony – which takes its influence from this season’s featured composer, Shostakovich – and Dvořák’s farewell to Prague before he left for the USA.

This concert may start in Baghdad (the setting for Weber’s Oberon), but is definitely flavoured with Hungarian spice. Bartók’s Divertimento is shot through with melody and rhythms derived from the Hungarian folk music he loved, while Brahms’s lively dances are settings of Hungarian themes.

CZECH SELECTION

Dvořák Overture: Carnival Suk M editation on the Old Czech Chorale St Wenceslas Kabeláč Symphony No.4 Camerata

HUNGARIAN SPICE

Weber Overture: Oberon Bartók Divertimento Brahms Hungarian Dances Nos.1, 3 & 10 Nuno Coelho Conductor

Jiři Rožeň Conductor

THURSDAY 11 APRIL 2019

MOZART’S HORN CONCERTO NO.4

Viennese horn player Joseph Leutgeb, inherited – appropriately for a Lunchtime Concert – a cheese shop and could well have ended up a cheesemonger if it hadn’t been for the glorious concertos Mozart wrote for his great friend! This irresistible concerto is performed by Ulster Orchestra Principal Horn Paul Klein.

Butterworth The Banks of Green Willow Mozart Horn Concerto No.4 Ravel Suite: Mother Goose Tianyi Lu Conductor Paul Klein Horn

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

ULSTER ORCHESTRA…

ON YOUR DOORSTEP Bringing the magic of the Ulster Orchestra right across Northern Ireland!

The ‘On Your Doorstep’ concerts series is an exciting initiative which sees the Orchestra play in a diverse range of venues throughout Northern Ireland.

Areas included are:

Further to the wonderful feedback received last year from audiences, the Orchestra has added even more dates and venues for the new Season!

Plus lots more smaller performances in a variety of unique venues!

ARMAGH • BALLYMENA • COOKSTOWN DERRY~LONDONDERRY • ENNISKILLEN • OMAGH Please see our new ‘On Your Doorstep’ brochure for all programmes, dates and venues or visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk We look forward to seeing you!

Further dates to be announced throughout the year.

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

ULSTER ORCHESTRA OFF STAGE

Back row Left to right Patrick McCarthy Director of Operations //Paul McKinley Librarian //Kate Ellis Planning Manager and Artist Liaison //Barbara McKinley Senior Executive Assistant //Auveen Sands Director of Finance and Business Management // Miriam Crozier Marketing and Communications Manager // Michelle Baird Director of Marketing and Communications

The orchestra has its sections (or families) of instruments; strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. Alongside our musicians there is the administration ’section’, who don’t appear on stage and are pictured here.

These are our colleagues who work hard to plan ahead and provide the best possible environment for you to be able to share great music-making with our wonderful musicians.

Some of them you will know by email, phone and front of house at concerts and you can now put names to faces (and faces to email and phone contacts). Although the administration (aka the ‘office’) don’t appear on stage in a concert we are highly passionate about every note played by our Orchestra and the experience you all enjoy.

Next row left to right Denny Elliot Fundraising Consultant //Lucy McCullagh Director of Learning and Community Engagement // Richard Wigley Managing Director //Mairéad Sullivan Learning and Community Engagement Project Manager //Madeleine Beattie Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Front row left to right Martha Earley Learning and Community Engagement Coordinator //Fiona McDonnell Director of Concerts and Artistic Planning //Bronagh Hughes Finance Assistant // Sophie O’Donnell Fundraising Administrator //Seamus Conway Finance Officer //Laura Hamill Orchestra Coordinator //Andrew Gardener Platform Attendant

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA AND THE BBC THE MUSICAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA AND THE BBC IS LONG-ESTABLISHED AND UNIQUE. The BBC supports music-making in all its different forms and variety.

Orchestral music has been part of the BBC’s work since the early 1920s – nurturing talent, showcasing excellence and making all of this accessible for everyone.

BBC Northern Ireland has a long-established and productive partnership with the Ulster Orchestra. This includes a busy programme of broadcast concerts and events and helps to bring great music to audiences at home and around the UK. Quality, innovation and fun are the heart of this special relationship – providing musical experiences that inform, educate and entertain.

For regularly updated information about upcoming BBC concerts and events involving the Ulster Orchestra, and to join the BBC’s mailing list, please visit the BBC website at bbc.co.uk/tickets. You can also find out more about what’s happening and how to get involved on Twitter @bbcnievents and at www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk

"We have a very special relationship with the Ulster Orchestra.

Its musicians and music-making are at the heart of our big community events. And they’ve provided us with many memorable broadcasting moments – demonstrating how music can inspire, enrich and entertain.”

Peter Johnston, Director BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Proms in the Park 2018 will be live from Titanic Slipways, Belfast on Saturday 8 September.

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

BBC I NVITATION CONCERTS WITH TH E ULSTER ORCH ESTR A JOIN BBC 3 AND BBC RADIO ULSTER FOR FREE INVITATION CONCERTS WITH THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA IN THE ULSTER HALL* BBC RADIO 3 SUMMER INVITATION SERIES 2018 – FEMALE COMPOSERS TUESDAY 31 JULY, 2PM Maxim Emelyanychev Conductor Rachmaninov The Rock Bartók Dance Suite Ina Boyle Overture for Orchestra Liszt Les préludes FRIDAY 3 AUGUST, 7.45PM Daniele Rustioni Conductor Mariam Batsashvili Piano Elisabetta Brusa Messidor Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 Dvořák Symphony No.8

TUESDAY 21 AUGUST, 2PM Andrew Gourlay Conductor Haydn Symphony No.44 Trauer Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten Roxanna Panufnik Modlitwa Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn FRIDAY 24 AUGUST, 7.45PM Olari Elts Conductor Irina Zahharenkova Piano Robert Schumann Overture, Scherzo and Finale Clara Schumann Piano Concerto Brahms Serenade No.1 This popular summer series will cover a gamut of repertoire, with a special nod to the work of female composers across countries and decades.

BBC RADIO 3 AFTERNOON CONCERT FROM THE GUILDHALL* MONDAY 10 DECEMBER 2018, 2PM DERRY~LONDONDERRY John Toal presents this special Afternoon Concert live from the Maiden City.

BBC RADIO ULSTER YOUNG MUSICANS’ PLATFORM AWARD WINNERS’ CONCERT SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019, 3PM

Tito Muñoz Conductor

Join presenter John Toal for this special live edition of Classical connections, featuring the Ulster Orchestra, who are joined by the ‘Classical’ winners of the BBC NI/Arts Council of Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Award.

Jessie Montgomery Starburst Stravinsky Danses concertantes Schumann Symphony No.4

BBC RADIO 3 BERLIOZ CELEBRATION SUNDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2019, 11AM

TUESDAY 14 AUGUST, 2PM

FRIDAY 17 AUGUST, 7.45PM Tito Muñoz Conductor Aleksey Semenenko Violin

Join us for a morning concert from the Ulster Hall, part of a special weekend-long celebration of Hector Berlioz on Radio 3.

Nina C. Young Remnants Sibelius Violin Concerto Howard Hanson Symphony No.2 Romantic Maximum of 2 tickets per person. Minimum age limit of 12 years old. Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Ulster Orchestra’s Learning and Community Engagement programme aims to connect the Orchestra with communities and individuals across Northern Ireland and to provide accessible and innovative opportunities for people to engage with us as audiences and participants. Since 2016, all of our musicians have been working on education and outreach activity including Relaxed Performances for people with additional needs, residencies in schools and universities, concerts directly in people’s communities, mentoring and coaching for players at all stages of their musical journey and the Crescendo project, the orchestra’s community-led residency project for children from disadvantaged areas in north and west Belfast.

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: LEARNING:

Come and Play is your opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside the Ulster Orchestra. Musicians of Grade 4 standard and above are invited to ‘Come and Play’ with the orchestra at events in Belfast and Derry~Londonderry. Experience what it’s like to be part of a professional orchestra and gain some inspiration along the way!

Application closing dates: October 2018 (Derry~Londonderry) and December 2018 (Belfast) - please keep an eye out for more details on our social media and website.

Schools’ Concerts: In November 2018, Catherine Arlidge MBE will present concerts for Key Stage 2 pupils in Belfast, Derry~Londonderry, Ballymena, Enniskillen and Newry. The concerts will link into the NI curriculum and we will be contacting all primary schools in each location with more details. Adopt a Player workshops are delivered in each location for schools in disadvantaged areas which have not previously attended a schools’ concert.

Teams of 2 players visit the schools before and after each concert to explore the repertoire and to familiarise pupils with what the concert will involve. The players then greet the children as they arrive at the performance.

Inspiration Workshops are small ensemble performances of popular and classical pieces, designed to engage Key Stage 2-3 pupils who may be considering taking up an instrument and/or choosing to study Music for GCSE. The Crescendo Project works in partnership with Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, Shankill Children’s Zone and the Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation at Queen’s University, Belfast to deliver musicianship and instrumental workshops to 500 P1, P2, P3 and P7 children across 4 schools. Activity is led by Ulster Orchestra musicians and Associates and the P1 and P2 workshops link in with Personal Development and Mutual Understanding aspects of the NI curriculum. An event in June 2019 will see the children perform to their families and the local community alongside the full Orchestra.

The Professional Experience Scheme is a mentoring project for music students normally resident in Northern Ireland.

Seven emerging professional musicians are selected annually to receive mentoring from Ulster Orchestra members and, where appropriate, to perform in season concerts.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Relaxed Performances are accessible concerts by full orchestra, designed for people with additional needs and their families. We have worked in partnership with Autism NI and the Now Group to devise presented concerts which link to our season repertoire and bring the joy of live orchestral music to everyone. Keep an eye out for our accessible promotional materials ahead of our Relaxed Performances in Spring 2019!

Wellbeing workshops are designed to bring live music to people in healthcare and other settings with limited access to artistic activities. Since 2016 we have been working in partnership with Inspire and the Belfast Trust Arts in Health programme to deliver performances (with breaks for refreshments and chatting!) in hospitals, hospices, day centres and residential homes across Northern Ireland.

Tea Dances: The 2018/19 season will see us perform our first Tea Dances for older people, people with dementia and their carers, in partnership with Age NI and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Community Events are delivered in response to our partner organisations’ needs.

Recent activity saw the orchestra accompany community and school choirs at the North Belfast Community Awards, take over the Indian Community Centre and perform performance pieces developed by women who have experienced domestic violence at Women’s Aid conferences across Northern Ireland.

Please check our social media for details on what we’re up to throughout the year.

For further information and to register your interest in any of our activity, please contact the Learning and Community Engagement team on: lce@ulsterorchestra.com

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HELP KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING! WAYS TO SUPPORT US…

Your support will:

Supporting the Ulster Orchestra is a unique investment in the power and joy of symphonic music for Northern Ireland.

• A ssist in attracting the finest international, UK and Irish talent, such as our fabulous Music Director Rafael Payare, to inspire and lift audiences across Northern Ireland.

As a registered charity, the Orchestra relies on a variety of income streams from ticket sales to grants, donations, legacies, advertising and sponsorship.

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• Enable us to create events that reflect the great music that is distinctive to Northern Ireland.

• Help our musicians spread out across Northern Ireland to provide intense community and education experiences that reach deep into society and live long in participants’ memories.

• A partnership with the Ulster Orchestra is also an effective way of introducing your business to our audiences through brand and networking opportunities.

From classical favourites to Pops concerts and special performances, there is a partnership opportunity to suit your musical taste and target audience.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

SPONSORSHIP CHAIR SPONSORSHIP Establish a closer connection to the Orchestra and its members by sponsoring an orchestral chair.

Chair sponsorship is open to both individuals and companies and can be a perfect way to acknowledge a special anniversary or the memory of a loved one. For organisations wishing to invest in this opportunity, in addition to PR benefits, there is also a corporate package specifically for networking and client development.

BECOME A PATRON Would you like to get behind-the-scenes access to the Ulster Orchestra, be involved with our work, performance and players?

To play your part in the future of the Orchestra, join the Patrons' Society by making a donation. We offer a tailored programme that offers our valuable supporters a range of bespoke and exciting opportunities. Plus your generous support allows us to further our learning and community engagement work, bringing orchestral music to those who would otherwise have no contact with it.

Whether it’s an individual concert or one of our many outreach projects, there is a host of benefits associated with sponsoring the Ulster Orchestra.

Depending on the level of sponsorship, this includes complimentary concert tickets, top class client entertainment and networking opportunities, meet and greet with our Music Director Rafael Payare and Orchestra musicians, extensive branding and PR benefits and access to our audiences.

LEGACY Leave a gift to Ulster Orchestra in your will. After you have made provisions for family and friends please think of the Ulster Orchestra. Your gift will help us to sustain the Orchestra, to ensure that the joy of live orchestral music enriches future generations - every bequest makes a difference. By leaving the Orchestra your legacy or bequest, your love of music will live on, supporting the work of the Orchestra for years to come.

ADVERTISING Promote your business, connect with our audience and showcase your commitment to the arts! It’s a great time to advertise with the Ulster Orchestra.

With more concerts than ever this Season, your advertising reach is as far as the number of concert programmes you choose to advertise in.

Each advertising package also includes an optional listing on the Orchestra’s website with a direct link to your home page, plus special offers via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP SCHEME The perfect platform for your business.

Whether it's offering prestigious client entertainment, networking opportunities or rewarding your staff, enjoy an exclusive, memorable VIP experience while also supporting Northern Ireland’s only Symphony Orchestra.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA FOUNDATION The Ulster Orchestra Foundation has been established as a registered charity to support and sustain the further development of the Ulster Orchestra for future generations. The Foundation is committed to enriching the experiences of audiences, players, young musicians and our many friends through the wonderful music-making and outreach of our own Symphony Orchestra.

To discuss any of the above, please contact the Ulster Orchestra Fundraising Team on 028 9026 0479

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

EXCLUSIVE OFFERS FOR OUR AUDIENCE

*Concert tickets must be shown to benefit from any of these offers.

We continue to create valuable partnerships with a range of top local restaurants and hotels to offer you, our valued audience, some additional benefits in supporting the Ulster Orchestra.*

Ten Square

James Street South

10 Donegall Square South, Belfast BT1 5JD

21 James Street South, Belfast BT2 7GA

www.tensquare.co.uk

www.jamesstreetsouth.co.uk

20% off any food in Jospers Restaurant or Linen Bar to anyone who presents an Ulster Orchestra ticket on the day/date of the concert indicated on the ticket. This can be presented before or after the show.

This promotion will not be applicable in conjunction with any other offer.

For reservations please call 028 9024 1001 or email reservations@ tensquare.co.uk.

Receive a complimentary glass of prosecco when you book a table at James Street South and mention that you are going to or coming from a concert with the Ulster Orchestra.

Booking is essential via the website www.jamesstreetsouth.co.uk or by calling us on 028 9043 4310.

SPECIAL TRAVEL PACKAGE! This year the Ulster Orchestra has partnered with Hannon Coaches to offer our audience members a more accessible and affordable way to attend our concerts, especially for those who live outside Greater Belfast!

Concert and travel packages can be booked for all of our Belfast performances.

For further information, please visit www.hannoncoaches.com or call 028 9265 0700

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

BOOK YOUR GREAT VALUE TICKETS NOW! SUBSCRIBE & SAVE UP TO 25% BY BOOKING FOUR OR MORE SEASON CONCERTS IN 2018/19!

AS AN ULSTER ORCHESTRA SUBSCRIBER YOU’LL BENEFIT FROM: • The seats you want at the best value prices • Discounts of up to 25% • Freedom to choose the concerts in your Subscription package • 10% off tickets for Lunchtime Concerts and Pops concerts • Priority booking period

BOOKING INFORMATION Subscriptions can be booked from Friday 11 May 2018. Booking for individual concerts opens Friday 8 June 2018.

WWW.ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK 028 9033 4455 Open 9am to 5pm Mon to Sat.

Visit the Box Office

• The option to spread the cost by Standing Order

Ulster Hall, Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF Open 10am to 5pm Mon to Sat. Up to 8.30pm on performance evenings.

• You’ll be the first to hear about new concerts and seasons

BELFAST WATERFRONT BOX OFFICE

SEE THE PULL-OUT SUBSCRIPTION BOOKING FORM IN THE CENTRE OF THE BROCHURE FOR SOME GREAT DISCOUNTS AND HOW TO BOOK.

OTHER VENUES

SINGLE TICKET PRICES Season 2018/19 Concerts £32, £29, £24.50, £20, £17.50, £10 Pops Series £30, £25, £20 The Snowman Family Concert Adult £15, Child £11.50, Family ticket (2 Adult/2 Child) £49, Additional children £6 Lunchtime Concerts: All seats only £7.50

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Lanyon Place, Belfast BT1 3WH Only open on the day of performance, two hours before the start of the concert.

Booking details for concerts outside Belfast can be found on www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk or call 028 9023 9900 for assistance.

VOUCHERS Gift Vouchers are available in a variety of amounts. Please contact the Box Office on 028 9033 4455 or visit in person.

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE The Ulster Hall and Belfast Waterfront are fully accessible for patrons with disabilities. Please call the Box Office on 028 9033 4455 for wheelchair access details. Should a patron with a disability require essential assistance from a carer to attend a performance, the carer is entitled to free admittance.

BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS *Seating area restrictions may apply to some performances. Subject to availability.

All discounts and price bands are subject to availability. The Ulster Orchestra reserves the right to introduce ticket discounts at any time.

We regret no refunds or exchanges can be made once tickets have been purchased. All details in this brochure were correct at time of print.

The Ulster Orchestra reserves the right to change performance details without prior notice.

You should be aware that when you book, your details will be held on the Belfast City Council Box Office computer system. If your consent has previously been indicated or is given at the time of purchase, this information will be passed to the Ulster Orchestra and from time to time we may contact you with information from the Orchestra.

We do not pass your details to any third party organisations. If you feel your consent has been wrongly applied, your details are incorrect or you would like to withdraw from the Ulster Orchestra marketing list, please write to us: Marketing Dept., Ulster Orchestra, Seymour House, 9 Gloucester Street, Belfast BT1 4LS. We welcome feedback and are always pleased to hear from our patrons, both new and longstanding. If you have any comments or questions about any aspect of the Ulster Orchestra, please contact us by post at the address below, online at www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk or by phone on 028 9023 9900.

We’re also on Facebook and Twitter!

PLEASE NOTE there are now booking charges if paying by credit/debit card. £2.50 per booking (online), £1.50 per ticket (by phone), £0.50 per ticket (at Box Office)

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

ULSTER HALL CONCERTS

CHILDREN UNDER 16 GO FREE!

Choir Area: please note that public seating in the Choir Area behind the Orchestra will not be opened for every concert.

Ground Floor, Rows 1-4: please note that for all concerts in 2018/19 the Ulster Orchestra will be utilising an extension to the stage. This will enhance the concert experience, improving acoustics, musician comfort and allow for the performance of larger works with larger ensembles. The front row for all concerts will therefore be Row 5 (restricted view).

ROW 5 (RESTRICTED VIEW)

SEASON 18/19 CONCERTS

PRICE BAND I

£32

PRICE BAND II

£29

PRICE BAND III

£24.50

PRICE BAND IV

£20 (Ground Floor)

PRICE BAND V

£17.50 (Ground Floor sides under balcony and Row 6)

PRICE BAND VI

£10 (Ground Floor front row (Row 5) and rear seating)

Now it’s even easier for all the family to enjoy the world’s best music. Children aged 15 or under go free to all Season 2018/19 Concerts, Lunchtime concerts and most Ulster Orchestra Pops/Festive concerts (excludes The Snowman). Children must be accompanied by a paying adult. Maximum of two free children’s tickets per adult. Additional children £5 each. Children’s tickets for both performances of The Snowman (1 December 2018) are £11.50 each. Please note that, except for concerts aimed specifically at children, children under the age of 3 are not admitted to performances.

UNDER 26, MATURE STUDENTS AND UNEMPLOYED ONLY £5!

BELFAST WATERFRONT CONCERTS

If you’re aged between 16 and 25, or in full-time education (including mature students), you can purchase tickets to any concert for only £5.

This offer also applies to those of working age and in receipt of unemployment benefit.

Applies to all concerts (Season, Pops/Festive Series, Lunchtime Concerts) excluding The Snowman (which is £11.50pp). The Box Office will allocate seats subject to availability*. Proof of age or valid full-time student card must be shown.

£2 DISCOUNT FOR THOSE AGED 65+

SEASON 2017/18 CONCERTS

PRICE BAND I

£32

PRICE BAND II

£29

PRICE BAND III

£24.50

PRICE BAND IV

£20

PRICE BAND V

£17.50

PRICE BAND VI

£10

POPS SERIES

FESTIVE SERIES

THE SNOWMAN

£30

£30

ADULTS: £15

Patrons aged 65 and over are entitled to a concession discount of £2 off seats in Price Bands IV, V and VI for Season concerts and Price Band VI for Pops/Festive concerts. Please note that concession discounts are not available in conjunction with a Subscription discount.

GREAT GROUP DISCOUNTS! CHILDREN UNDER 16: £11.50 £25

£25

£20

£20

FAMILY TICKET: £49 (2 Adults & 2 Children) Additional children £6

There are great discounts available for group bookers. So, if you’re arranging a family outing, bringing a school or youth group or organising a work night out, make sure you take advantage of what’s on offer. Contact the Box Office for details.

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

2018/19 SEASON AT A GLANCE FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

Strauss Shostakovich Rafael Payare Alisa Weilerstein

Strauss Shostakovich Rafael Payare Tamás Kocsis

Don Quixote Symphony No.10 Conductor Cello

Le bourgeois gentilhomme Symphony No.8 Conductor Violin

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

FRIDAY 18 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

Rossini Beethoven Prokofiev Andrew Litton Steven Osborne

Brahms Sibelius Gabriel Bebeselea Boris Giltburg

Overture: William Tell Piano Concerto No.4 Symphony No.4 Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Anna Clyne Chopin Tchaikovsky Eivind Gullberg Jensen Alexander Gavrylyuk

This Midnight Hour Piano Concerto No.2 Symphony No.6 Pathétique Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Ives Bernstein Dvořák Jac van Steen Baiba Skride

The Unanswered Question Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium) Symphony No.9 From the New World Conductor Violin

FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Busoni Mozart Schubert Daniele Rustioni Francesca Dego

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Overture: Lustspiel Violin Concerto No.3 Symphony No.9 Great Conductor Violin

Piano Concerto No.2 Symphony No.2 Conductor Piano

THURSDAY 24 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT Strauss Shostakovich Rafael Payare Dorothea Röschmann

Four Last Songs Symphony No.4 Conductor Soprano

FRIDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Bach arr. Webern Schoenberg Brahms Rafael Payare

Ricercar Verklärte Nacht Symphony No.4 Conductor

FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Schumann Tchaikovsky Schumann Rafael Payare Guy Braunstein

Overture: Manfred Violin Concerto Symphony No.2 Conductor Violin

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2018/2019

FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

FRIDAY 10 MAY 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

Jörg Widmann Mendelssohn Beethoven Rafael Payare Veronika Eberle

Patrick Brennan Rachmaninov Stravinsky Olari Elts Barry Douglas

Con Brio Violin Concerto Symphony No.7 Conductor Violin

FRIDAY 22 MARCH 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

FRIDAY 24 MAY 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

Strauss Shostakovich

Also sprach Zarathustra Symphony No.7 Leningrad

Rafael Payare

Conductor

Mozart Mahler Rafael Payare Inon Barnatan

FRIDAY 5 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Franck Saint-Saëns Elgar Jac van Steen Louis Schwizgebel

Les Éolides Piano Concerto No.5 Egyptian Symphony No.1 Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Mozart Brahms Mozart Rafael Payare Aoife Miskelly Rachel Kelly Robin Tritschler Edwin Crossley-Mercer Belfast Philharmonic Choir

Symphony No.29 Song of Destiny Requiem Conductor Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

FRIDAY 26 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Andrea Tarrodi Tchaikovsky Bruch Mendelssohn Elim Chan Alexey Stadler

Camelopardalis Variations on a Rococo Theme Kol Nidrei Symphony No.3 Conductor Cello

Cycling Piano Concerto No.2 Petrushka Conductor Piano

Piano Concerto No.20 Symphony No.5 Conductor Piano

POPS SERIES SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER 2018, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I THE MOVIES! Pete Harrison

Conductor

SATURDAY 19 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I BURNS NIGHT! John Logan

Conductor

SATURDAY 16 MARCH 2019, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I IRISH MUSIC! David Brophy

Conductor

SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2019, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I THE 80S! Stephen Bell

Conductor

SATURDAY 11 MAY 2019, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I COUNTRY! John Rigby

Conductor

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

FESTIVE SERIES

LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES

SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018, 2pm & 4.30pm BELFAST WATERFRONT

THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2018, 1.05pm ULSTER HALL

THE SNOWMAN FAMILY CONCERT Christopher Bell

Mussorgsky Debussy Falla

Night on Bald Mountain Petite Suite El Amor Brujo

Roberto González-Monjas Margaret Bridge

Conductor Mezzo-Soprano

Conductor

FRI 7 DECEMBER 2018, 7.30pm SAT 8 DECEMBER 2018, 7.30pm BELFAST WATERFRONT HANDEL’S MESSIAH Laurence Cummings Ailish Tynan Cécile van de Sant Nicholas Mulroy Njål Sparbo Belfast Philharmonic Choir

Conductor Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2018, 1.05pm ULSTER HALL Tchaikovsky Respighi Sibelius

Polonaise from Eugene Onegin Trittico Botticelliano Suite: King Christian II

Ainars Rubikis

Conductor

WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2018, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2019, 1.05pm ULSTER HALL

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

Dvořák Suk

Anthony Weeden Shona Lindsay Michael Dore Belfast Philharmonic Choir

Conductor Vocals Vocals

THURSDAY 11 APRIL 2019, 1.05pm ULSTER HALL

FRIDAY 4 JANUARY 2019, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I

VIENNA!

Christoph Altstaedt

Kabeláč Jiři Rožeň

Overture: Carnival Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale St. Wenceslas Symphony No.4 Camerata Conductor

Conductor

Butterworth Mozart Ravel Tiaryi Lu

The Banks of Green Willow Horn Concerto No.4 Suite: Mother Goose Conductor

THURSDAY 16 MAY 2019, 1.05pm ULSTER HALL Weber Bartók Brahms Nuno Coelho

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Overture: Oberon Divertimento Hungarian Dances Nos.1, 3 & 10 Conductor

THANK YOU!

A very warm thank you to all our sponsors, funders and partners

PRINCIPAL FUNDING PARTNERS

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

PROJECT PARTNERS

CONCERT PARTNERS

MAJOR DONORS

IN-KIND SUPPORT

ORCHESTRA PHOTOGRAPHY: BENJAMIN EALOVEGA DESIGN: WHITENOISESTUDIOS.COM

PRINCIPAL FUNDING PARTNERS

Write to us at: ULSTER ORCHESTRA, 9 Gloucester Street, Belfast BT1 4LS www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk info@ulsterorchestra.com Ulster Orchestra Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Northern Ireland (NI. 14222).

Registered Charity (NIC 103063). Registered office: Ulster Orchestra, 9 Gloucester Street, Belfast BT1 4LS