The Ulster Orchestra’s Heather White visited Bangor to give Rotarians a behind-the-scenes insight into life in the Orchestra.
Formed in the mid-1960s, the Orchestra is the only one of its kind in Ireland that is not directly associated with a funding organisation such as the BBC or RTE.
Heather told us that the membership of the Orchestra is approximately 40% home grown. Interestingly while the Ulster Orchestra imports many of its members, much local talent is lost when Northern Ireland musicians win places in prestigious UK and european music schools and go on to join other orchestras.
With financial restraints and other considerations, the Orchestra is unable to travel as much as it might have done in the past. But with a Northern Ireland-based programme of 90+ concerts over the course of the year, the international concert-goers loss is our gain.
A full list of the Ulster Orchestra’s concerts for this season can be found here www.ulsterorchestra.com