UO season brochure 2017 2018

Season 2017 / 18 Ulster Hall / Belfast Waterfront

An exciting Season awaits you!

To our dear audience members.

As I embark upon the fourth year of my partnership with our wonderful Ulster Orchestra, I am very happy to share with you our 2017/18 Concert Season, a season which offers a diversity of music for all tastes.

I have been on an amazing journey with you and with the artists of the Ulster Orchestra, expanding our love and appreciation of beautiful orchestral music and working tirelessly to share the highest standard of music-making.

This year, we are proud to open the new Season as part of Culture Night Belfast, celebrating the best of symphonic dance music from around the world and featuring our Artist Laureate, Sir James Galway, as special guest. During the year we are joined by internationally-renowned, best-loved soloists including pianists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Simon Trpčeski, violinists Sergey Khachatryan and Tasmin Little, along with cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Johannes Moser.

Alisa and I will be sharing the stage once again, this time performing Dutilleux’s highly expressive Tout un monde lointain in an all-French programme featuring Debussy’s La mer.

Of special note is the concert with my good friend Pacho Flores, the outstanding Venezuelan trumpeter whose recording contract with Deustche Grammophon indicates his international status. We grew up together in the Simón Bolívar Orchestra and he will bring a range of trumpets and artistry to beguile you.

We also welcome some of the best established and upcoming conductors, and are delighted that our Principal Guest Conductor, Jac van Steen, will be conducting some of the greatest concertos ever written.

New faces include Antony Hermus, and there are return visits from Gergely Madaras, Eivind Gullberg Jensen and Jonathan Darlington.

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Other Season highlights for me include a special Mozart week in April and, following a personal passion of mine, we are closing the Season with the fantastic Shostakovich Symphony No.5. This spectacular final fanfare marks the start of the Ulster Orchestra’s exploration of Shostakovich’s all-encompassing war symphonies.

And, for some daylight delight, our popular JTI Lunchtime Concert Series returns to the Ulster Hall on selected Tuesdays.

We are committed to sharing our music as widely as possible so there are many local concerts taking place this year. Please keep a look out for one near you as part of our ‘On Your Doorstep’ programme.

Whether you’re a long-term supporter or a newcomer to the world of the Ulster Orchestra you will find that there’s something for everyone this Season. We all look forward to you joining us for your choice of orchestral magic.

Rafael Payare Music Director

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ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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CULTURE NIGHT BELFAST

GALA CONCERT: A CARNIVAL OF RHYTHM! Belfast Waterfront Friday 22 September 2017, 7.45pm

Bernstein Symphonic Dances Bill Whelan Linen and Lace (for flute and orchestra) Falla Suite No.2: The Three-Cornered Hat Ravel Bolero …and more!

Rafael Payare Conductor Sir James Galway Flute

The 2017/18 Season has a special start as part of Culture Night Belfast, bringing an extravaganza of symphonic dance music from around the world. It celebrates music from both the Old and New World, in particular the Latin American rhythms that are part of the heritage of our Music Director, Rafael Payare.

From the insistent rhythmic pulse of Ravel’s Bolero to the fiery flamenco in Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, this programme is rich with the heat and light of Spain and Latin America.

Ulster Orchestra Artist Laureate Sir James Galway returns to perform music closer to home.

Riverdance composer Bill Whelan’s flute concerto Linen and Lace was written for Sir James as soloist and is in Whelan’s trademark style, drawn from the rhythms of Irish dance.

And to open the concert, Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances. Orchestral re-workings of the music from West Side Story, these dances take us from the deserted street-music from the beginning of the musical to rumble and disaster at the story’s end. The music races along in a flurry of jazz and dance rhythms from an epic percussion section, every type of syncopation in the book and even the vocal talents of the Orchestra’s musicians. Mambo!

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BEETHOVEN & MAHLER’S FIRSTS Ulster Hall Friday 29 September 2017, 7.45pm Beethoven Symphony No.1 Mahler Symphony No.1 Titan Rafael Payare Conductor Two first symphonies by two titans of symphonic composition. Beethoven’s First Symphony may dance along with the sparkle and joy of Mozart or Haydn at their most effervescent, but nonetheless his genius is percolating and you can spot all the hallmarks of innovation and originality that mark out his unique greatness.

If Beethoven was the trailblazer for symphonic innovation, Mahler rose to the challenge too and his First Symphony is

a triumphant realisation of a symphonic ambition that changed the genre forever.

From the opening – a spellbinding, shimmering note spread across seven octaves that floats ethereally across the orchestra – to the final movement’s explosion of despair which turns to sheer musical joy by its end, this concert features music borne from dreaming big dreams and seeing the enormous possibilities in writing for an orchestra.

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

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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LUSH! CLASSICAL

SPECIAL GUEST DJ PAUL OAKENFOLD SSE Arena Saturday 7 October 2017 October 2016 saw one of the most spectacular dance events ever held in Northern Ireland, which brought together worldrenowned DJs, live vocalists and over 5,000 people aged 18-65 in an electric atmosphere with floor fillers from the past 20 years such as For An Angel, Insomnia and Such A Good Feeling.

Due to its phenomenal success, the Ulster Orchestra has once again joined forces with Col

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Hamilton, Lush! Nightclub at Kellys and Kylie Minogue’s Musical Director, Steve Anderson for another ultimate party night that promises to be longer, louder and even more sensational than before. Don’t miss this musical homage to Northern Irish Clubland!

Tickets: £55 / £38 / £35 Only available from www.ticketmaster.ie

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STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD Ulster Hall Friday 13 October 2017, 7.45pm

Kodály Variations on a Hungarian Folksong (The Peacock) Britten Piano Concerto Stravinsky The Firebird Gergely Madaras Conductor Steven Osborne Piano A dazzling aviary of bird-themed music awaits in this concert!

Opening with Kodály’s Variations on a Hungarian Folksong (The Peacock), the centrepiece of this concert is Stravinsky’s glorious suite, The Firebird, with music that references both folk-song melodies and Stravinsky’s trademark exotic rhythms and chromaticism.

Conductor for the evening Gergely Madaras also conducts Steven Osborne in Britten’s Piano Concerto - full of confidence and extravagance, it makes perfect virtuoso material.

“Osborne has absolutely nailed the [Britten Piano Concerto’s] mixture of heartless exhibitionism and brittle ebullience, and he played it with glittering panache and awesome brilliance.” (The Guardian) Free pre-concert talk with Gergely Madaras at 7pm.

In partnership with

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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I THE MOVIES!

Belfast Waterfront Saturday 21 October 2017, 7.45pm Stephen Bell Conductor Celebrate the musical brilliance of legendary film composer John Williams, in a magical evening of the most iconic film themes ever written. Enter a galaxy of movie blockbusters including Star Wars, Superman and Harry Potter, to name but a few. The force is strong with this one!

AND IF YOU ENJOY THIS…

…why not also book I THE MUSICALS (Sat 17 Feb 2018) and I ABBA (Sat 21 April 2018)

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Welcome from the Arts Council The Ulster Orchestra reached the grand old age of 50 last year, but the 2017/18 season shows no signs of the orchestra slowing down. Quite the contrary. With the dynamic pairing of Managing Director Richard Wigley and Music Director Rafael Payare leading an exceptionally talented pool of players, the orchestra has taken on a new lease of life. This season is defined by a renewed confidence and ambition. A programme of major symphonic works

by Mahler, Bruckner and others, which would test any orchestra in the world, accompanied by visiting world-class conductors and soloists, will raise the standards of musical excellence for both players and audiences.

Supporting an outstanding music programme is an equally strong audience and community engagement programme. The Arts Council, as the principal funder of the Ulster Orchestra, is proud to recognise the range of developmental initiatives that the orchestra is undertaking to reach out and open up the world of live classical music to schools, community groups and audiences not traditionally associated with the arts. Much of this important educational and outreach work goes largely unsung and is not as widely recognised as it should be. The Ulster Orchestra is living up to its commitment to provide great musical experiences for everyone and is once more establishing professional orchestral music at the forefront of our creative and cultural lives.

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.

GREAT CONCERTOS: RACHMANINOV’S RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PAGANINI Ulster Hall Friday 27 October 2017, 7.45pm

Grieg Suite: Peer Gynt Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Nielsen Symphony No.5 Eivind Gullberg Jensen Conductor Simon Trpčeski Piano Music from Northern Europe, conducted by Norwegian conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen and featuring international star, Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski.

At this concert’s heart is Rachmaninov’s show-stopping Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini – a concerto in all but name, its variations on Paganini’s Caprice No.24 full of scintillating and imaginative detail.

“The most notable aspect that Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski brought to Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was wit. Trpčeski brought it out with his crisp, crystalline, lightly pedalled playing... As a result, this piano concerto-in-all-but-name sounded fresh and alive.” (Los Angeles Times) Nielsen’s two-movement Symphony No.5 completes the evening; a work full of drama and tension, composed in the aftermath of the First World War. Free pre-concert talk with Eivind Gullberg Jensen at 7pm.

In partnership with ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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DEBUSSY’S LA MER

Ulster Hall Friday 10 November 2017, 7.45pm Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Dutilleux Tout un monde lointain Debussy La mer Ravel La valse Rafael Payare Conductor Alisa Weilerstein Cello An evening of French music to capture the imagination!

Debussy’s La mer is a richly iridescent set of three sketches reflecting three moods of the sea, one of the composer’s most fêted works. But this isn’t programme music, it’s an impressionistic milestone that vividly evokes colour, light and atmosphere – you can practically taste the sea air.

Dutilleux’s Tout un monde lointain is one of the most important 20th century additions to the repertoire for cello. Inspired by the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, the title translates as ‘A Whole World Distant’ and the work is mysterious and dreamlike. It was written for Mstislav Rostropovich and who better to perform it than Alisa Weilerstein, one of the leading musicians of her generation and for whom Rostropovich is a huge inspiration.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dukas’s tale of a magicianin-training whose unsupervised attempt to use magic to complete his chores, has been made universally famous by a certain cartoon mouse, whilst Ravel’s La valse started as a tribute to the work of Johann Strauss, but, written in 1919, its brooding character reflects the cloud of war hanging over the waltzing couples of Vienna.

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

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In partnership with Northern Ireland Opera

COSÌ FAN TUTTE

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Grand Opera House, Belfast 17, 18, 19 November 2017, 7.45pm Millennium Forum, Derry-Londonderry Thursday 23rd November, 8.00pm Nicholas Chalmers Conductor Adele Thomas Director Hannah Clark Set & Costume Designer Kevin Treacy Lighting Designer Ulster Orchestra Northern Ireland Opera presents a new production of Mozart’s great comedy of love, temptation and partnerswapping Così Fan Tutte.

What seems a harmless dressing up game ends up driving two young couples to question all they thought about love, truth and marriage. Funny, sexy, charming and updated to the roaring 1920’s, Così Fan Tutte features some of Mozart’s most sublime and spectacular music, from the vocal fireworks of ‘Come Scoglio’ to the beautiful ‘Soave Sia Il Vento’.

Local favourite Aoife Miskelly (Radamisto, Don Giovanni) stars alongside Australian baritone Samuel Dale Johnson and leading Irish soprano Anna Devin. Northern Ireland Opera regular Nicholas Chalmers returns to conduct the Ulster Orchestra in a production staged by award-winning director Adele Thomas and designer Hannah Clark.

Sung in Italian.

Box Office: www.goh.co.uk/028 9024 1919 Box Office: www.millenniumforum.co.uk/028 7126 4455

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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Jac van Steen

Jac van Steen has conducted the Ulster Orchestra many times over the years and their important musical relationship was formally recognised in 2014 when Jac agreed to become the Orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor, bringing his international experience to Northern Ireland at a critical time in the Orchestra’s history.

Jac’s charm and engaging style is always a hit with audiences in the Ulster Hall, both in his pre-concert talks and on the podium. His musicianship guides the Orchestra with clarity through all it performs; perhaps never better than in 2014 for a unique cross-border collaboration between the Ulster Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, which marked the centenary of World War One with a performance of Britten’s War Requiem. He masterfully conducted a massed musical array of orchestras, soloists, two conductors, the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus and the Girl Choristers of St Anne’s Cathedral for a sell-out performance in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast.

In 2017/18, Jac takes to the stage to conduct some of the finest in the Great Concertos series (Sibelius Violin Concerto on 1 Dec, Dvořák Cello Concerto on 19 Jan and Elgar Violin Concerto on 13 Apr) and composers who are national heroes in their respective homelands feature strongly. From the Finnish ice of Sibelius to the rich Czech Romanticism of Dvořák and the two pillars of English composition, Elgar and Vaughan Williams, Jac van Steen’s appearances with the Ulster Orchestra this Season are not to be missed!

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THE GREAT CONCERTOS: SIBELIUS’S VIOLIN CONCERTO Ulster Hall Friday 1 December 2017, 7.45pm

Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis Sibelius Violin Concerto Dvořák Symphony No.7 Jac van Steen Conductor Esther Yoo Violin Before he turned to composition, Sibelius had attempted to carve out a career as a violinist. He never truly left his first love behind and his concerto for violin is the only one he ever wrote. It puts the virtuosity required for performing the work upfront and centre stage in the first movement’s cadenza, and the virtuoso to perform the work is rising star, Esther Yoo. “Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, with BBC New Generation Artist Esther Yoo as the soloist was equally stunning. Yoo’s solo passages were bewitching, as she played her cadenza in the middle of the first movement with such a huge and intricate amount of detail it was almost hard to conceive the sounds were coming from just one instrument...”

(Herald Scotland) The Violin Concerto is paired with arguably Dvořák’s greatest symphony, his Seventh, and it’s a work which particularly inspired Sibelius in the writing of his Violin Concerto. It’s packed full of references to his Czech homeland and brim-full of Slavonic melodies.

Free pre-concert talk with Jac van Steen at 7pm.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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CHRISTMAS!

THE SNOWMAN FAMILY CONCERT

HANDEL’S MESSIAH

Christopher Bell Conductor

Paul Daniel Conductor Belfast Philharmonic Choir

Belfast Waterfront Sat 2 December 2017, 2.00pm, 4.30pm

One of the most popular children’s books ever written, The Snowman is even more enchanting when it’s experienced in this big-screen, animated version, with live music by the Ulster Orchestra and a young singer performing the iconic Walking in the Air. Start your festive season with this timeless Christmas favourite, which has become an annual family tradition for many!

Concert lasts approximately 50 minutes.

Belfast Waterfront Fri 8 December 2017, 7.30pm Sat 9 December 2017, 7.30pm

What can be more uplifting than the power and the glory of massed voices and the Ulster Orchestra? Handel’s choral masterpiece has been a central part of the festive season for 275 years and continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Brought to life by four outstanding soloists, the magnificent Belfast Philharmonic Choir and of course, the Ulster Orchestra, Messiah remains one of the most widely-performed and best-loved oratorios ever written.

FAMILY TICKET ONLY £49

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THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS CELEBRATE NEW YEAR Belfast Waterfront IN VIENNA! Thurs 21 December 2017, 7.45pm Richard Balcombe Conductor Anna-Jane Casey Soprano Belfast Philharmonic Choir Acclaimed West End star, Anna-Jane Casey, joins the Ulster Orchestra for a spectacular show that will certainly put you in the Christmas mood! Have yourself a merry little Christmas with popular pieces such as The Polar Express, Winter Wonderland and not forgetting that classic, White Christmas. You’ll definitely feel that Santa Claus is coming to town!

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

Belfast Waterfront Fri 5 January 2018, 7.45pm Sat 6 January 2018, 7.45pm

Millennium Forum, Derry~Londonderry Sun 7 January 2018, 7.00pm Christopher Bell Conductor Start 2018 with this glittering tribute to Vienna and Strauss which is a true delight for the eyes and ears.

Featuring a stunning programme of whirling waltzes and sweeping melodies accompanied by guest artists, let the luscious bars of the Blue Danube Waltz leave your heart beating in triple time!

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THE GREAT CONCERTOS: DVOŘÁK’S CELLO CONCERTO Ulster Hall Friday 19 January 2018, 7.45pm Elgar Introduction and Allegro Dvořák Cello Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 4 Jac van Steen Conductor Johannes Moser Cello “Why on earth didn’t I know that one could write a violoncello concerto like this?

If I had only known, I would have written one long ago!”

Johannes Brahms Written whilst Dvořák was in the USA and struggling with homesickness, his Cello Concerto is not only filled with longing for home but also a more deeply personal anguish – his sister-in-law (and first love) Josefina was seriously ill. He wove her favourite song into the piece and it is an exquisite tribute. Johannes Moser will bring all the intimately-held emotions of this work to life. ‘’...[Johannes Moser’s] playing unites a sleekly streamlined technique with an alert and in-

the-moment musicality, and on this occasion his brisk forwardleaning tempos in the third movement in particular had the hall on the edge of its collective seat. The crowd wasted no time in rewarding him with a robust ovation...’’ (Boston Globe) Sibelius himself too was suffering from enormous personal anguish when he wrote his Fourth Symphony, whilst around him Finland struggled to recover from a terrible famine and Europe hurtled towards the First World War. The result is dark and compact, but with a steeliness and determination to endure; the result is a symphony which Sibelius said “represents a very important and great part of me.”

Free pre-concert talk with Johannes Moser at 7pm.

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THE GREAT CONCERTOS: BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO Ulster Hall Friday 9 February 2018, 7.45pm Brahms Symphony No.3 Beethoven Violin Concerto

I BURNS NIGHT!

BURNS NIGHT WITH THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA & FRIENDS Belfast Waterfront Saturday 27 January 2018, 7.45pm John Logan Conductor Phil Cunningham Accordion Aly Bain Fiddle Robyn Stapleton Vocals Bring on the haggis! Join the Ulster Orchestra and friends for the ultimate Burns Night celebrations!

This uplifting spectacle of dancing, singing, pipes and poetry, accompanied by the sumptuous sounds of the Ulster Orchestra, is an ever-fitting, annual tribute to ‘The Bard’ himself. Celebrating the cultural links between Scotland and Northern Ireland, with traditional music favourites, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, this is the hottest ticket in town, so book early!

Rafael Payare Conductor Sergey Khachatryan Violin Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is the first giant of the genre and it is only fitting that it forms part of a Season devoted to the Great Concertos. In this rescheduled concert, Sergey Khachatryan returns to the Ulster Hall to perform the piece. Renowned as one of the great modern interpreters of the Concerto, this concert will be a spell-binding night of utter virtuosity.

“For all his youth, Khachatryan certainly has deep experience... His sound is both sturdy and beautiful, and he paces and phrases everything with intelligent eloquence, always allowing the music to breathe and voicing counterpoints lucidly. Most impressive, though, is the emotional and spiritual depth he shows.”

(The Sunday Times) To close the concert, Music Director Rafael Payare continues his exploration of Brahms’s Symphonies with the richly romantic Third.

Presented in association with the Ulster-Scots Agency.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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I THE MUSICALS!

Belfast Waterfront Saturday 17 February 2018, 7.45pm Robert Ziegler Conductor Belfast Philharmonic Choir

Calling all musical theatre fans! Don’t miss this spectacular night of West End and Broadway’s greatest hits brought to you by the Ulster Orchestra, Belfast Philharmonic Choir and acclaimed West End stars.

Featuring much-loved music from shows such as West Side Story, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, The Lion King and the ageless classic, Singin’ in the Rain, you’ll love this moment of musical magic.

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CONCERTO WORLD PREMIÈRE: GIANCARLO CASTRO’S TRUMPET CONCERTO Ulster Hall Friday 23 February 2018, 7.45pm

Debussy Prélude à “L’après-midi d’un faune” Neruda Concerto for Trumpet and Strings Giancarlo Castro Trumpet Concerto (World Première) Piazzolla Winter in Buenos Aires Bartók Concerto for Orchestra Rafael Payare Conductor Pacho Flores Trumpet This concert brings an evening in the company of one of the most exciting rising musicians around – Venezuelan trumpeter Pacho Flores. Francisco “Pacho” Flores, principal trumpet of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and founding member of the Simón Bolívar Brass Quintet, has been achieving worldwide recognition as a soloist, captivating audiences with his energy and the bell-like beauty of his tone. His playing integrates jazz and Latin American influences with his classical training and he has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording artist since 2012, with his recordings for the label displaying this eclectic blend of styles.

Alongside the Argentinian flair of Piazzolla, Pacho performs the world première of a trumpet concerto by regular collaborator, fellow-Venezuelan and fellow-trumpet player, Giancarlo Castro.

The concert concludes with Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra; considered one of Bartók’s finest works and a splendid showpiece for both solo wind and percussion players, as well as for the orchestra as a whole.

Free pre-concert talk with Rafael Payare & Pacho Flores at 7pm.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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THE GREAT CONCERTOS: LISZT’S PIANO CONCERTO NO.2 Ulster Hall Friday 9 March 2018, 7.45pm Wagner Overture: Tannhäuser Liszt Piano Concerto No.2 Brahms Symphony No.2 Rafael Payare Conductor Kirill Gerstein Piano This is a concert to speak to the most Romantic of souls!

Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto has been described as a ‘concerto for poets’ and is a ground-breaking work by the legendary icon of the piano. It’s a virtuosic partnership between piano and orchestra that is by turns lyrical and introspective, then triumphant and dramatic. Our poet for the performance is Kirill Gerstein, who “…has the touch and fluidity of a Liszt virtuoso and at the same time the intuition of a chamber musician.”

(Der Tagesspiel) Brahms’s Second Symphony is full of warmth and optimism, overflowing with joyful melodies.

The composer’s friend, Theodore Billroth, described it as “…all rippling streams, blue sky, sunshine, and cool green shadows” and it brings this performance to a lushly pastoral conclusion.

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THE GREAT CONCERTOS: MOZART’S PIANO CONCERTO NO.24

Ulster Hall Friday 23 March 2018, 7.45pm Weber Overture: Der Freischütz Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 Bruckner Symphony No. 4 Romantic Rafael Payare Conductor Víkingur Ólafsson Piano Mozart Week takes place in April 2017 (see page 25 for more details), but here’s a night to whet the appetite. Piano Concerto No.24 is a very different proposition to Mozart’s other piano concertos. Written in the minor key and for the largest orchestration of any of his concertos, it has a more reflective, almost intimate quality.

We welcome back Icelandic star Vikingur Ólafsson to perform this concerto.

Aside from his Te Deum, Bruckner has been absent from programmes in recent years. He returns with a bang in his epic masterwork and most popular symphony, the Fourth. Bruckner himself labelled it the Romantic, alluding to its depiction of an almost Wagnerian world of medieval castles and hunts in leafy woodland glades; everything that would appeal to his public, both then and now.

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

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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BRAHMS’S REQUIEM AT EASTER Ulster Hall Friday 30 March 2018, 7.45pm Schubert Symphony No.8 Unfinished Brahms A German Requiem Jonathan Darlington Conductor Elin Pritchard Soprano Gareth Brynmor John Baritone Belfast Philharmonic Choir Stephen Doughty Chorusmaster Schubert’s Unfinished is a masterful piece of writing, the two movements so perfectly balanced it’s difficult to imagine how he could have created two more. The first movement is tragic, the second balances some of the most tender music Schubert ever wrote with angry, jagged outbursts. It’s a piece that is wracked with emotional turmoil, so it’s fitting that the second half of this concert brings music to spiritually console.

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Brahms used not Latin liturgy, but text from the Lutheran Bible for his Requiem and placed the emphasis in this work on comfort for those in mourning. The result is A German Requiem; perhaps the central work in Brahms’s output and a work that is gentle and incredibly human.

Written in 1865, it was prompted by Brahms’s own extreme personal loss: his mother had died the very same year he wrote the piece. Let this wonderful concert bring peace and time for reflection amidst the joy of Easter.

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EXCLUSIVE PRIORITY BOOKING PERIOD FOR SUBSCRIBERS ENDS ON FRIDAY 23RD JUNE 2017.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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Season 2017/18: Subscription Price Bands

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Season 2017/18: 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

PRICE BAND IV

PRICE BAND V

1 CONCERT

£29.00

£26.50

£22.50

£18.50

£16.00

£10.00

2 CONCERTS

£58.00

£53.00

£45.00

£37.00

£32.00

£20.00

3 CONCERTS

£87.00

£79.50

£67.50

£55.50

£48.00

£30.00

BLOCK

ROW

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INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

SUBSCRIPTION DISCOUNTS BEGIN AFTER ONLY FOUR CONCERTS!

4 CONCERTS

10%

£104.40

£95.40

£81.00

£66.60

£57.60

£36.00

5 CONCERTS

£130.50

£119.25

£101.25

£83.25

£72.00

£45.00

6 CONCERTS

£156.60

£143.10

£121.50

£99.90

£86.40

£54.00

7 CONCERTS

£182.70

£166.95

£141.75

£116.55

£100.80

£63.00

8 CONCERTS

£208.80

£180.20

£162.00

£133.20

£115.20

£72.00

£221.85

£202.73

£172.13

£141.53

£122.40

£76.50

10 CONCERTS

£246.50

£225.25

£191.25

£157.25

£136.00

£85.00

11 CONCERTS

£271.15

£247.78

£210.38

£172.98

£149.60

£93.50

12 CONCERTS

£295.80

£270.30

£229.50

£188.70

£163.20

£102.00

9 CONCERTS

13 CONCERTS

15%

£297.83

£272.16

£231.08

£190.00

£164.32

£102.70

14 CONCERTS

21%

£320.74

£293.09

£248.85

£204.61

£176.96

£110.60

15 CONCERTS

£343.65

£314.03

£266.63

£219.23

£189.60

£118.50

16 CONCERTS 25% £348.00

£318.00

£270.00

£222.00

£192.00

£120.00

b) If you don’t know your row and seat number, please tell us above 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.

If you know the block/row and seat number that you usually sit in, please specify here:

2. NOW MAKE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION CONCERT CHOICES 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 SIXTEEN CONCERTS!

Gala Concert: A Carnival of Rhythm!

Incl. Ravel’s Bolero and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances Beethoven & Mahler’s Firsts Incl. Beethoven’s Symphony No.1 Stravinsky’s Firebird Incl. Kodaly’s The Peacock The Great Concertos: Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme...

Incl. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite Debussy’s La mer Incl. Ravel’s La valse and Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice The Great Concertos: Sibelius’s Violin Concerto Incl. Dvorak’s Symphony No.7 The Great Concertos: Dvorak’s Cello Concerto Incl. Sibelius’s Symphony No.4 The Great Concertos: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto Incl. Brahms’s Symphony No.3 Concerto World Première: Castro’s Trumpet Concerto Incl. Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra The Great Concertos: Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.2 Incl. Brahms’s Symphony No.2 The Great Concertos: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.24 Incl. Bruckner’s Symphony No.4 Romantic Brahms’s Requiem at Easter Incl. Schubert’s Symphony No.8 Unfinished The Great Concertos: Elgar’s Violin Concerto Incl. Sibelius’s Pohjola’s Daughter The Great Concertos: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.17 Incl. Mozart’s Symphony No.40 The Great Concertos: Ravel’s Piano Concerto Incl. Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances Season Grand Finale Incl. Shostakovich’s Symphony No.5

FRI 29 SEP 2017 FRI 13 OCT 2017 FRI 27 OCT 2017 FRI 10 NOV 2017 FRI 1 DEC 2017 FRI 19 JAN 2018 FRI 9 FEB 2018 FRI 23 FEB 2018 FRI 9 MAR 2018

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

SAT 21 OCT 2017 I love Burns Night!

SAT 27 JAN 2018 I love the Musicals!

SAT 17 FEB 2018 I love ABBA! SAT 21 APR 2018

I £30

II £25

III £25

IV £20

V £20

VI £15

PRICE BAND FESTIVE SERIES (Belfast Waterfront)

I £30

II £25

III £25

IV £20

V £20

VI £15

Handel’s Messiah

FRI 8 DEC 2017 SAT 9 DEC 2017

The Magic of Christmas

THU 21 DEC 2017

Celebrate New Year in Vienna!

FRI 5 JAN 2018

FRI 23 MAR 2018

SAT 6 JAN 2018

FRI 30 MAR 2018

PRICE BAND

FRI 13 APR 2018

FESTIVE SERIES (Belfast Waterfront) The Snowman SAT 2 DEC 2017, 2.00PM Family Concert SAT 2 DEC 2017, 4.30PM

FRI 27 APR 2018

ADULT CHILD FAMILY ADD. (under 16) CHILD £15 £11.50 £49 £5.50

FRI 11 MAY 2018 FRI 01 JUN 2018

TOTAL NUMBER OF CONCERTS

3. CALCULATE THE COST OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Referring to the Subscription Discount Pricing Table opposite for your chosen price band and number of concerts, calculate the cost of your subscription: Cost of one subscription package

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 the Belfast Waterfront. Choose your price band and we’ll endeavour to allocate you a seat as close to your usual subscription seat as possible.

FRI 22 SEP 2017

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

Total no. of concerts

4. NOW ADD ANY NON-SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS

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

JTI LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES – SEATING UNRESERVED SUBSCRIBERS SAVE 10% OFF REGULAR PRICE OF £7.50 JTI Lunchtime Concert: A BITE OF BEETHOVEN JTI Lunchtime Concert: FROM COUNTRYSIDE TO CITYSCAPE JTI Lunchtime Concert: TRIPLE TIME! JTI Lunchtime Concert: A BOX OF FESTIVE DELIGHTS JTI Lunchtime Concert: BARTERED BRIDE JTI Lunchtime Concert: SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY JTI Lunchtime Concert: BASSOON CONCERTO JTI Lunchtime Concert: MOZART WEEK JTI Lunchtime Concert: TWO COURSE LUNCH Total Cost of all Non-Subscription Concerts

£6.75 TUE 26 SEP 2017 TUE 24 OCT 2017 TUE 21 NOV 2017 TUE 19 DEC 2017 TUE 23 JAN 2018 TUES 27 FEB 2018 TUE 20 MAR 2018 TUE 24 APR 2018 TUE 29 MAY 2018 £

(see Subs Pricing Table)

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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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:

POSTCODE: DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER: MOBILE PHONE NUMBER: 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 23 June 2017 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: FREPOST RTUA-TJXB-XTEA Ulster Orchestra 9 Gloucester Street Belfast BT1 4LS

7. MAKE A DONATION TO YOUR ULSTER ORCHESTRA 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.

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.

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

THE GREAT CONCERTOS: ELGAR’S VIOLIN CONCERTO Ulster Hall Friday 13 April 2018, 7.45pm Sibelius Pohjola’s Daughter David Matthews Symphony No.8 Elgar Violin Concerto Jac van Steen Conductor Tasmin Little Violin The violin was Elgar’s own instrument and his Violin Concerto is almost like a personal confession, expansive and compelling. The solo part combines the singing quality of Beethoven with the symphonic drama of Brahms, full of bravura technique and brilliance. To perform this monumental work, an English violinist who has made Elgar’s Violin Concerto her signature piece, Tasmin Little.

“Little is tender, velvet, winsome, always beguiling, never de trop, with complete mastery of the pianissimo caress - a gift essential for the slow movement’s intimacies and the finale’s stupendous accompanied cadenza....Little couldn’t be cold if she tried, she knows just how to make her violin sing.” (The Times)

To accompany this, one of the finest British symphonies of the last 25 years; David Matthews’s Symphony No.8. Matthews’s work is rooted in the traditions of Haydn and Beethoven, bringing those traditions up to date and renewing them. Symphony No.8 has a tang of sea, inspired by vapour trails in the sky over Deal in Kent and the entire symphony, with its striding rhythms, lush lyricism and its effortless yet highly accomplished invention, will be a new pleasure to enjoy.

Resonate is a PRS Foundation initiative in partnership with Association of British Orchestras, BBC Radio 3 and Boltini Trust

Free pre-concert talk with Jac van Steen & David Matthews at 7pm.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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I

ABBA!

Belfast Waterfront Saturday 21 April 2018, 7.45pm Stephen Bell Conductor Become a Dancing Queen for the night and experience the greatest hits of ABBA performed by a full orchestra and the fantastic singers from Capital Voices! With more than 370 million albums worldwide and a hit Broadway musical and film, ABBA produced some of the most memorable dance music ever.

Voulez-Vous, Mamma Mia and The Winner Takes It All are just some of the songs on this playlist so dig out the sequins and put on the platforms for a Super Trouper night to remember!

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

THE GREAT CONCERTOS: RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO Ulster Hall Friday 11 May 2018, 7.45pm

MOZART WEEK

Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks Ravel Piano Concerto in G Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

THE GREAT CONCERTOS: MOZART’S PIANO CONCERTO NO.17

Antony Hermus Conductor Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Piano

Mozart Symphony No.35 Haffner Mozart Piano Concerto No.17 Mozart Symphony No.40

“…But the CD’s raison d’etre is the Ravel. Bavouzet’s G major concerto is the best since Michelangeli’s 50 years ago: it has style, verve, poetry and balance…” **** (The Financial Times)

Ulster Hall Friday 27 April 2018, 7.45pm

Rafael Payare Conductor Jonathan Biss Piano This concert sees Maestro Payare explore more of Mozart’s later symphonies. Symphony No.35 Haffner is full of festive spirit and Mozart declared it should be played “as fast as possible.” – who knows just how fast “fast” was in Mozart’s day! Symphony No.40 is an iconic work, used regularly in film and television and much beloved.

Ravel aimed to write something light and fanciful when he started work on his Piano Concerto. Echoes of jazz run throughout it and the slow movement confirms the composer as a master of melody. To perform it, a master of Ravel: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances combine 20th century rhythms inspired by Stravinsky and Prokofiev with his own penchant for big tunes. While Rachmaninov was inspired by the new guard of the time, Stravinsky was inspired by the old guard, creating Dumbarton Oaks after listening to Bach.

Alongside this, the Ulster Orchestra welcomes Jonathan Biss back to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.17. One of the most thoughtful and technically accomplished performers of his generation, Biss is the perfect guest for this subtle and expressive work. The concerto’s dance-like finale was one of Mozart’s personal favourites – he even taught his pet starling to sing the tune!

24 April lunchtime concert also part of ‘Mozart Week’

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

Free pre-concert talk with Antony Hermus at 7pm.

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SEASON FINALE: SHOSTAKOVICH’S SYMPHONY NO.5

Ulster Hall Friday 1 June 2018, 7.45pm Britten Four Sea Interludes Mahler Rückert-Lieder Shostakovich Symphony No.5 Rafael Payare Conductor Katarina Karnéus Mezzo – soprano

A season of sweeping romance and epic national treasures comes together in the season finale; three poetry-inspired pieces that reflect the concerns of the soul and ultimately end in the triumph of the human spirit. Britten and Mahler were two of Shostakovich’s musical heroes (and Britten was also a friend), so it is their music that paves the way for Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.

Heroic on the surface, with its direct musical language and well-shaped melodies, the Fifth is also heroic beneath. The composer faced Stalin’s displeasure

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(both career- and life-threatening) and had a job on his hands to rehabilitate his reputation. His Fifth Symphony was publicly described as “a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism”, yet privately he said that the finale is a satirical picture of Stalin, deliberately hollow but dressed up as exuberant adulation. The Symphony’s final fanfare may mock the dictator but it also celebrates Shostakovich’s successful stay of punishment. It also heralds the start of an exciting new voyage with Maestro Payare – look out for more of Shostakovich’s War Symphonies in the Ulster Orchestra’s 2018/19 Season.

BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

JTI LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES MUSICAL SNACKS SERVED ON T U E S D AY S AT 1 .0 5 PM I N T H E ULSTER HALL! Supported by

Try something new on your lunch break and join the Ulster Orchestra for a series of relaxing, 50 minute concerts for just £7.50!

The JTI Lunchtime Concert Series allows busy city-centre workers, tourists, retirees, students and many others to escape for a while and enjoy a bite-sized 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!

A L L S E A T S J U S T £ 7. 5 0 ...

S AV E 10% & B O O K A L L 9 C O N C E R T S F O R O N LY £6 0 . 7 5 !

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Tues 26 September 2017

TRIPLE TIME!

A BITE OF BEETHOVEN

This year, the Orchestra has teamed up with Ten Square to offer lunchtime concert goers a special 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 2 minutes stroll from the Ulster Hall at 10 Donegall Square South.

Concert attendees can enjoy a 20% discount from the Afternoon Tea menu in the Linen Lounge, or on food from the A La Carte menu in Jospers Restaurant upon presentation of a lunchtime concert ticket of the same date of dining.

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

Mahler’s impassioned love serenade, Blumine, sets up one of Beethoven’s favourites of his own work, his Symphony No.8. Full of delightful themes and with an expansive dynamic range, it’s the most diminutive of Beethoven’s symphonies – but with something mighty tucked inside.

Schumann Overture: Genoveva Mahler Blumine Beethoven Symphony No.8

A whirling lunchtime of dance music opens with Ravel’s suite Le Tombeau de Couperin, while Stravinsky’s ballet music for Jeu des Cartes is said to be inspired by his love of poker – the music is arranged in deals rather than acts, with the characters as cards in the game and the wily Joker causing chaos through his ability to become any card.

Mozart Adagio & Fugue Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Stravinsky Jeu des Cartes

Clemens Schuldt Conductor

Case Scaglione Conductor

Tuesday 24 October 2017

FROM COUNTRYSIDE TO CITYSCAPE This lunchtime, take a trip to the countryside without leaving the city!

Our concert starts in the peaceful calm of a forest with Mendelssohn’s overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and continues in Anna Clyne’s beautiful elegy, Within Her Arms. A quick trip to the American Mid-West with Copland before Bernstein’s bustling Three Dance Episodes: On the Town brings us back to central Belfast with a bang!

Mendelssohn Overture: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Anna Clyne Within Her Arms Copland Variations on a Shaker Melody Bernstein Three Dance Episodes: On the Town Joshua Weilerstein Conductor

Tuesday 19 December 2017

A BOX OF FESTIVE DELIGHTS

Settle in for a memorable afternoon of festive treats, starting with Debussy’s evocation of memories of childhood toys in Children’s Corner, while Träumerei am Kamin sees Richard Strauss dream by the fireside. And to wrap things up, the perfect Christmas gift, that delightful festive favourite, The Nutcracker.

Debussy Children’s Corner (arr. Caplet) R. Strauss Träumerei am Kamin from Intermezzo Tchaikovsky Suite: The Nutcracker Christoph Altstaedt Conductor

In partnership with 28

BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

Tuesday 23 January 2018

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Tuesday 29 May 2018

A perennial favourite, Smetana’s overture to The Bartered Bride opens a concert of music from Eastern Europe which includes Kodály’s delightful Dances of Marosszék. And who better to conduct Romanian composer Enescu’s Suite No. 1 than up-andcoming Romanian conductor, Gabriel Bebeselea?

Schubert’s Fifth Symphony is fresh, light and bursting with tunes – the perfect lunchtime treat!

To accompany, Ulster Orchestra Principal Bassoon Vahan Khourdoian takes the solo role in Weber’s lyrical and witty Bassoon Concerto.

Haydn’s answer to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? It’s possible; his patron, Prince Esterhazy, had a penchant for programme music and Symphony No.6 is the first of three symphonies named after times of the day, brim-full of opportunities for solo instruments to shine. To accompany, Wagner’s most powerful expression of love, torment and loss, the opening and closing of his opera Tristan und Isolde.

BARTERED BRIDE

Smetana Overture: The Bartered Bride Enescu Suite No. 1 Kodály Dances of Marosszék

BASSOON CONCERTO

Weber Bassoon Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 5 Rafael Payare Conductor Vahan Khourdoian Bassoon

Haydn Symphony No. 6 Le Matin Wagner Prelude & Libestod: Tristan und Isolde

Gabriel Bebeselea Conductor

Tuesday 24 April 2018 Tuesday 27 February 2018

SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY

Written at the age of eighteen, Shostakovich’s First Symphony has been likened to the opening chapter of a novel, setting the tone for all that follows. Nervous tension and sarcastic wit, passion and intelligence, contemplation and action, nobility and banality – the composer’s trade-marks are all immediately evident in this musically-assured debut.

Hamilton Harty A Comedy Overture Shostakovich Symphony No.1 Rafael Payare Conductor

TWO COURSE LUNCH

MOZART WEEK

Rafael Payare Conductor

This lunchtime concert brings you two pieces written by Mozart to delight the instrumentalists who play them. Symphony No.39 is a glimpse of Mozart revelling in the act of composition and the Sinfonia Concertante is a masterclass in understanding technique. To perform the latter, Ulster Orchestra Leader Tamás Kocsis and Principal Viola William Goodwin take the solo roles.

Mozart Sinfonia Concertante Mozart Symphony No. 39 Rafael Payare Conductor Tamás Kocsis Violin William Goodwin Viola Please note this performance runs slightly over one hour.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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On Your Doorstep

A series of exciting concerts right across Northern Ireland!

The ‘On Your Doorstep’ concerts series is a new initiative started in the Orchestra’s 50th anniversary year which sees the Orchestra play in as diverse a range of venues as possible across Northern Ireland.

Building upon the success of last year’s performances, which stretched from Enniskillen to Derry~Londonderry, the Orchestra is striving to expand its reach even further in the 2017/18 season. Here are the concerts scheduled to date; we hope to see you at one that’s on your doorstep!

Further dates to be announced throughout the year.

OMAGH

Thurs 30 November 2017 Strule Arts Centre Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis Sibelius Violin Concerto Dvorak Symphony No. 7

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Thurs 14 December 2017 Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex 028 9181 0803

The Ulster Orchestra is bringing its hugely popular Christmas sing-along show across Northern Ireland! Soprano Marcella Walsh joins the party to bring you wellknown festive classics and carols in this Christmas cracker of a night.

Fri 15 December 2017 Island Arts Centre, Lisburn 028 9250 9509

Sat 16 December 2017 The Alley Theatre, Strabane 028 9250 9509

Supported by

Jac van Steen Conductor Esther Yoo Violin

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

BALLYMENA

Thurs 4 January 2018 The Braid CELEBRATE NEW YEAR IN VIENNA! Start 2018 with this glittering tribute to Vienna and Strauss which is a true delight for the eyes and ears.

Featuring a stunning programme of whirling waltzes and sweeping melodies accompanied by guest artists, let the luscious bars of the Blue Danube Waltz leave your heart beating in triple time!

Christopher Bell Conductor

Fri 20 April 2018 The Braid Rossini Overture: The Barber of Seville Mozart Clarinet Concerto Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 Italian Tecwyn Evans Conductor Francesco Paolo Scola Clarinet

DERRY ~ LONDONDERRY Sun 7 January 2018 Millennium Forum

CELEBRATE NEW YEAR IN VIENNA! Start 2018 with this glittering tribute to Vienna and Strauss which is a true delight for the eyes and ears.

Featuring a stunning programme of whirling waltzes and sweeping melodies accompanied by guest artists, let the luscious bars of the Blue Danube Waltz leave your heart beating in triple time!

Christopher Bell Conductor

Thurs 1 March 2018 Guildhall Elgar Cello Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 1 Rafael Payare Conductor Alisa Weilerstein Cello

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

ARMAGH

Thurs 8 February 2018 Marketplace Theatre Brahms Symphony No. 3 Beethoven Violin Concerto Rafael Payare Conductor Sergey Khachatryan Violin

COOKSTOWN

Wed 18 April 2018 Burnavon Theatre Rossini Overture: The Barber of Seville Mozart Clarinet Concerto Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 Italian Tecwyn Evans Conductor Francesco Paolo Scola Clarinet

ENNISKILLEN

Thurs 19 April 2018 Ardhowen Theatre Rossini Overture: The Barber of Seville Mozart Clarinet Concerto Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 Italian Tecwyn Evans Conductor Francesco Paolo Scola Clarinet

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Learning & Community Engagement Our learning and community engagement activity aims to open up opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with the Ulster Orchestra as audiences, participants and artistic collaborators.

There are now more opportunities than ever before to engage with our players in all kinds of accessible activity, which helps bring the power of music to everyone.

The 17/18 season will establish and develop partnerships and collaborations across Northern Ireland, including: • University partnerships • Workshops and projects with primary and secondary schools • Residency in a school for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) • Delivery of a programme in partnership with Colin Neighbourhood Partnership and Shankill Children’s Zone 32

• Community Projects with young people from disadvantaged communities, survivors of trauma, young offenders and people with disabilities • Delivery of Wellbeing workshops which enable people in healthcare settings to enjoy ensemble performances directly in their centres or homes • Workshops for people with dementia and their carers followed by a tea dance event with full orchestra, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society

Keep an eye out on our website and social media for events open to the public, including: • Schools concerts in Oct 2017 • Relaxed performances for people with learning disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder • Open rehearsals • Come and Play events in Belfast and Derry~Londonderry • Performances at community events and festivals For further information and to register your interest, please contact the Learning and Community Engagement team on: education@ulsterorchestra.com

BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

Move to the Music Over 70? Living alone in a rural area? Have trouble getting out and about? Move to the Music could be for you!

Our award-winning Move to the Music scheme provides free access to selected Ulster Orchestra concerts throughout the season – along with bus transport (you are picked up from home), concert programme and free hot drink as well!

Feedback from our older patrons is extremely positive – they enjoy seeing each other and making new friends at the Orchestra concerts as well as appreciating the music; many cite the Move to the Music evenings as some of the only social events they are able to get out to.

Since you are picked up directly from home and brought back there afterwards you don’t have to worry about your mobility or personal safety and it costs you nothing to attend, thanks to the generous support of our corporate partner, JTI. If you meet the criteria, or know someone who does, and would enjoy being part of our Move to the Music scheme, you can find out more at

www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk or call us on 028 9023 9900 to request an application.

Transport is currently available from the following postcode areas: - BT23, BT24 and BT30 (rural County Down) - BT29 (Crumlin area) - BT42 and BT43 (Ballymena and the surrounding area) - BT60 – BT63, BT66 and BT67 (Armagh, Craigavon and Portadown)

“I cannot speak too highly of the benefits of Move to the Music. As a person of 80 years living alone, the visits to the concerts are mentally stimulating, enjoyable and socially wonderful!”

Move to the Music participant supported by

If your postcode is not covered, but you are still interested in the scheme, please let us know. We are working to develop the project further, and if we have enough interest, your area could be next to Move to the Music!

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

33

Ulster Orchestra Off Stage 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.

L-R: Miriam Crozier, Marketing & Communications Manager; Daniel Aguirre Evans, Planning Manager & Artist Liaison; Oran Heron, Platform Attendant; Fiona McDonnell, Director of Concerts & Artistic Planning; Mairead Sullivan, Learning & Community Engagement Project Manager; Bronagh Hughes, Finance Assistant; Patrick McCarthy, Director of Operations; Richard Wigley, Managing Director; Lucy McCullagh, Director of Learning & Community Engagement; Paul McKinley, Librarian; Barbara McKinley, Senior Executive Assistant; Auveen Sands, Director of Finance & Business Management; Seamus Conway, Finance Officer; Michelle Baird, Marketing & Communications Director; Kate Ellis, Assistant Orchestra Manager; Laura Hamill, Learning & Community Engagement Assistant; Andrew Gardener, Platform Attendant 34

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.

BBC Proms in the Park 2017 will be live from National Trust property, Castle Coole, in County Fermanagh, on Saturday 9 September.

The event will be supported by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Tourism Northern Ireland.

Upcoming BBC Invitation Concerts at The Ulster Hall

Quality, innovation and fun are the heart of this special relationship - providing musical experiences that inform, educate and entertain.

BBC Radio 3 Summer Invitation Concerts 2017 with the Ulster Orchestra

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

Enjoy 3 weeks of concerts, celebrating the descriptive power of Tone Poems

Peter Johnston, Director BBC Northern Ireland:

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.

WED 13th DECEMBER 2017, 2pm A live edition of BBC Radio 3’s Afternoon on 3, celebrating BBC orchestras and choirs across the UK TUE 16th JANUARY 2018, 7pm

WED 2nd AUGUST 2017, 1.05pm FRI 4th AUGUST 2017, 7.45pm

BBC Radio 3 Hear & Now recording

Conductor: Andrew Gourlay

TUE 13th FEBRUARY 2018, 2pm

WED 9th AUGUST 2017, 1.05pm FRI 11th AUGUST 2017, 7.45pm

A live edition of BBC Radio 3’s Afternoon on 3

Conductor: Courtney Lewis

SUN 11th MARCH 2018, 3pm

WED 23rd AUGUST 2017, 1.05pm BBC Radio Ulster’s Classical FRI 25th AUGUST 2017, 7.45pm Connections comes live with the Ulster Orchestra, presented by Conductor: Olari Elts John Toal and looking forward to St Patrick’s Day. TUE 3rd OCTOBER 2017, 2pm A live edition of BBC Radio 3’s Afternoon on 3

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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Become part of the Ulster Orchestra Family Supporting the Ulster Orchestra is a unique investment in the power and joy of symphonic music for 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.

Your support will: • assist 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; • 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.

Become a Patron

Chair Sponsorship

Would you like to get behindthe-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 Patron’s 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.

Establish a closer connection to the Orchestra and its members by sponsoring an individual player or orchestral chair. Player 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.

Sponsorship

Advertising

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.

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.

To discuss any of the above, please contact the Ulster Orchestra Marketing Team on 028 9026 0486 40 36

BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

Exclusive offers for our Audience This Season, we have established partnerships with an exclusive selection of local restaurants and hotels to offer you, our valued audience, some additional benefits in supporting the Ulster Orchestra.

Ten Square, 10 Donegall Square South, Belfast BT1 5JD www.tensquare.co.uk 20% off any food in Jospers Restaurant or Linen Bar to anyone who presents an Ulster Orchestra concert ticket on the day/ date of the show 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.

James Street South, 21 James Street South, Belfast BT2 7GA www.jamesstreetsouth.co.uk Receive a complimentary glass of prosecco when you book a table at James St 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.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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

Deanes Deli Bistro, 44 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF

www.michaeldeane.co.uk Guests having the two course pre-theatre menu will receive a complimentary dessert before or after the concert. If returning afterwards, please keep your receipt for proof and the concert ticket. For reservations please call 028 9024 8800 or email deanesdeli@michaeldeane.co.uk

COCO, 7-11 Linenhall Street, Belfast BT2 8AA www.cocobelfast.com Receive a complimentary glass of wine, soft drink or a beer with any main course purchased. Simply show your concert ticket upon arrival. For reservations please call 028 9031 1150 or book online at www.cocobelfast.com

Arc Brasserie www.waterfront.co.uk

Special offer for concert ticket holders.

Two Course dinner for two people with complimentary glass of sparkling wine for ÂŁ45. For reservations please call 028 9033 4400 Ext 1715 or email arc.belfast@amadeusfood.co.uk

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Book Your Great Value Tickets Now! Subscribe & save up to 25% by booking four or more Season concerts in 2017/18!

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 JTI Lunchtime Concerts and Pops concerts • Priority booking period • The option to spread the cost by Standing Order • You’ll be the first to hear about new concerts and seasons See the pull-out Subscription Booking Form in the centre of the brochure for some great discounts and how to book..

SINGLE TICKET PRICES:

Season 2017/18 Concerts: £29, £26.50, £22.50, £18.50, £16, £10 Pops Series: £30, £25, £20, £15 The Snowman Family Concert: Adult £15, Child £11.50, Family ticket (2 Adult/2 Child) £49. Additional children £5.50 JTI Lunchtime Concerts: all seats only £7.50 BOOKING INFORMATION Subscriptions can be booked from 20 May 2017. Booking for individual concerts opens Monday 26 June 2017.

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Booking Information Online*: www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk Phone*: 028 9033 4455 Open 9am to 5pm Mon to Sat. In Person*: Visit the Box Office at: Ulster Hall, Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF Open 10am to 5pm Mon to Sat. Up to 8.30pm on performance evenings.

Belfast Waterfront Box Office, Lanyon Place, Belfast BT1 3WH is only open on the day of performance, two hours before the start of the concert. *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)

BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS * Seating area restrictions may apply to some performances. Subject to availability. Unemployed concession does not apply to ‘Popular Favourites’ concerts.

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

Other Venues: 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.

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 long-standing.

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!

BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

CHILDREN UNDER 16 GO FREE! 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 2017/18 Concerts, Lunchtime Concerts and most Ulster Orchestra Pops Series (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 (2 December 2017) 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.

ULSTER HALL CONCERTS 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 2017/18 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 17/18 CONCERTS PRICE BAND I:

£29

PRICE BAND II:

£26.50

PRICE BAND III: £22.50

UNDER 26s, MATURE STUDENTS AND UNEMPLOYED ONLY £5!

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 Series, JTI Lunchtime Concerts) excluding The Snowman (which is £10pp). The Box Office will allocate seats subject to availability*. Proof of age or valid full-time student card must be shown.

PRICE BAND IV:

£18.50 (Ground Floor)

PRICE BAND V:

£16 (Ground Floor sides under balcony and Row 6)

PRICE BAND VI:

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

BELFAST WATERFRONT CONCERTS

£2 DISCOUNT FOR THOSE AGED 65+ Patrons aged 65 and over are entitled to a concession discount of £2 off seats in Price Bands IV, V and VI. Please note that concession discounts are not available in conjunction with a Subscription discount.

GREAT GROUP DISCOUNTS! 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.

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

SEASON POPS 2017/18 SERIES CONCERTS

FESTIVE THE SERIES SNOWMAN

PRICE BAND I:

£29

£30

£30

PRICE BAND II:

£26.50

£25

£25

£20

£20

£15

£15

PRICE BAND III: £22.50 PRICE BAND IV:

£18.50

PRICE BAND V:

£16

PRICE BAND VI:

£10

ADULTS: £15 CHILDREN UNDER 16: £11.50 FAMILY TICKET: £49 (2 Adults & 2 Children) Additional children £5.50

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2017/18 Season at a Glance FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2017, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT Bernstein Bill Whelan Falla Ravel

Symphonic Dances Linen and Lace (for flute and orchestra) The Three-Cornered Hat, Suite No.2 Bolero

Rafael Payare Sir James Galway

Conductor Flute

…and more!

FRIDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2017, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Beethoven Mahler

Symphony No.1 Symphony No.1 Titan

Rafael Payare

Conductor

FRIDAY 1 DECEMBER 2017, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis Sibelius Violin Concerto Dvořák Symphony No.7 Jac van Steen Esther Yoo

Conductor Violin

FRIDAY 19 JANUARY 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Introduction and Allegro Elgar Dvořák Cello Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 4 Jac van Steen Johannes Moser

Conductor Cello

FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER 2017, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL

Brahms Beethoven

Symphony No.3 Violin Concerto

Kodály

Rafael Payare Sergey Khachatryan

Conductor Violin

Britten Stravinsky

Variations on a Hungarian Folksong (The Peacock) Piano Concerto The Firebird

Gergely Madaras Steven Osborne

Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER 2017, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Grieg Suite: Peer Gynt Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Nielsen Symphony No.5 Eivind Gullberg Jensen Simon Trpčeski

Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2017, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Dukas Dutilleux Debussy Ravel

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Tout un monde lointain La mer La valse

Rafael Payare Alisa Weilerstein

Conductor Cello

FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Debussy Prélude à “L’après-midi d’un faune” Neruda Concerto for Trumpet and Strings Giancarlo Castro Trumpet concerto (World Première) Piazzolla Winter in Buenos Aires Bartók Concerto for Orchestra Rafael Payare Pacho Flores

FRIDAY 9 MARCH 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Wagner Overture: Tannhäuser Liszt Piano Concerto No.2 Brahms Symphony No.2 Rafael Payare Kirill Gerstein

Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 23 MARCH 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Weber Overture: Der Freischütz Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 Bruckner Symphony No. 4 Romantic Rafael Payare Víkingur Ólafsson

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Conductor Trumpet

Conductor Piano

BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

FRIDAY 30 MARCH 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Schubert Brahms

Symphony No.8 Unfinished A German Requiem

Jonathan Darlington Elin Pritchard Gareth Brynmor John Belfast Philharmonic Choir Stephen Doughty

Conductor Soprano Baritone Chorusmaster

FRIDAY 13 APRIL 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Sibelius David Matthews Elgar

Pohjola’s Daughter Symphony No.8 Violin Concerto

Jac van Steen Tasmin Little

Conductor Violin

FRIDAY 27 APRIL 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Mozart Symphony No.35 Haffner Mozart Piano Concerto No.24 Mozart Symphony No. 40 Rafael Payare Jonathan Biss

Conductor Piano

FRIDAY 11 MAY 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks Ravel Piano Concerto in G Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances Antony Hermus Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Conductor Piano

POPS SERIES SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER 2017 SSE ARENA LUSH! CLASSICAL Cliff Masterson Conductor SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER 2017, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I THE MOVIES! Stephen Bell

Conductor

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY 2018, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I BURNS NIGHT! BURNS NIGHT WITH THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA & FRIENDS John Logan Phil Cunningham Aly Bain Robyn Stapleton

Conductor Accordion Fiddle Vocalist

SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2018, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I THE MUSICALS! Robert Ziegler Conductor Belfast Philharmonic Choir SATURDAY 21 APRIL 2018, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT I ABBA! Stephen Bell Conductor

FRIDAY 1 JUNE 2018, 7.45pm ULSTER HALL Britten Four Sea Interludes Mahler Rückert-Lieder Shostakovich Symphony No.5 Rafael Payare Katarina Karnéus

Conductor Mezzo-Soprano

ULSTER ORCHESTRA SEASON PROGRAMME 2017/2018

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FESTIVE SERIES SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER 2017, 2.00pm, 4.30pm BELFAST WATERFRONT THE SNOWMAN FAMILY CONCERT Christopher Bell Conductor FRIDAY 8 DECEMBER 2017, 7.30pm SATURDAY 9 DECEMBER 2017, 7.30pm BELFAST WATERFRONT HANDEL’S MESSIAH Paul Daniel Conductor THURSDAY 21 DECEMBER 2017, 7.45pm BELFAST WATERFRONT THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS Richard Balcombe Conductor Anna-Jane Casey Soprano BELFAST WATERFRONT FRIDAY 5 JANUARY 2018, 7.45pm SATURDAY 6 JANUARY 2018, 7.45pm MILLENNIUM FORUM, DERRY~LONDONDERRY SUNDAY 7 JANUARY 2018, 7.00pm CELEBRATE NEW YEAR IN VIENNA! Christopher Bell

Conductor

LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES (Ulster Hall, 1.05pm) TUESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2017 Schumann Overture: Genoveva Blumine Mahler Symphony No.8 Beethoven Clemens Schuldt Conductor TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 Mendelssohn Overture: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Anna Clyne Within Her Arms Variations on a Shaker Melody Copland Three Dance Episodes: On the Town Bernstein Joshua Weilerstein Conductor

TUESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2017 Debussy Children’s Corner (arr. Caplet) R. Strauss Träumerei am Kamin from Intermezzo Tchaikovsky Suite: The Nutcracker Christoph Altstaedt Conductor TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018 Overture: The Bartered Bride Smetana Enescu Suite No. 1 Kodály Dances of Marosszék Gabriel Bebeselea Conductor TUESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2018 A Comedy Overture Harty Shostakovich Symphony No.1 Rafael Payare Conductor TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2018 Weber Schubert Rafael Payare Vahan Khourdoian

Bassoon Concerto Symphony No. 5 Conductor Bassoon

TUESDAY 24 APRIL 2018 Mozart Sinfonia Concertante Mozart Symphony No. 39 Conductor Rafael Payare Tamás Kocsis Violin William Goodwin Viola Please note this performance runs slightly over one hour.

TUESDAY 29 MAY 2018 Haydn Wagner Rafael Payare

Symphony No. 6 Le Matin Prelude & Liebestod: Tristan und Isolde Conductor

TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2017 Mozart Adagio & Fugue Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Stravinsky Jeu des Cartes Case Scaglione Conductor

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BOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK

THANK YOU!

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

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

IN-KIND SUPPORT

SPONSORS

LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUPPORTERS

PRINCIPAL ENGAGERS

CONCERT 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 4LSBOX OFFICE: 028 9033 4455 ULSTERORCHESTRA.ORG.UK 48

ORCHESTRA PHOTOGRAPHY: BENJAMIN EALOVEGA DESIGN: WHITENOISESTUDIOS

PRINCIPAL FUNDING PARTNERS