UK Amateur Orchestras

Northern Ireland

NEW - entries since 1 Jan 2022

NEW - entries since 1 Jan 2023

Orchestra (full)

Wind band (brass and woodwind)

String Orchestra

Brass band

Miscellaneous

Orchestra

Conductor /
Leader
Rehearsal Venue / Times
 
Contact(s)
 
Rebekah Durston
 
Usually Tuesdays at The Dolphin in Larne Road, Ballymena
 Rebekah Durston 028 2564 8313
 
Founded in 2006, the orchestra consists of musicians from Ballymena and across Northern Ireland: professional musicians, teachers and advanced students, and welcomes applications for new membership.
 
 
Second Sunday of each month at St Thomas' Church, Eglantine Avenue, Belfast
 Marcus Patton
 
Founded in 2008, the Consort rehearses and performs a different Bach cantata for the evening service at St Thomas' Church of Ireland on the second Sunday of each month apart from July, August and December. The group, comprising singers and instrumentalists, has also performed cantatas in St Anne's Cathedral Belfast and at the Lutheran Church in Dublin.
Victor Yelamo
Orsolya Szabo
Regional Cultural Centre, Port Road Letterkenny Co. Donegal
 Donegal Music Education Partnership
 
Based in the Republic, but welcomes players from NI. The Donegal Chamber Orchestra features young student string players from across county Donegal and is dedicated to helping students achieve the highest level of excellence in performance. The Donegal Chamber Orchestra gives regular performances throughout the county during the year.
Peter Langton
Jim Jack
Thursday at 7pm (baton down at 7.15 sharp) At Trinity Church Hall, Ballymoney, Co Antrim
 Damien O'Connor
 
The Girona Orchestra can trace its history back to around 1870 by the original minutes of meetings that have been carefully preserved.
Andrea Rea
Kelly Martinez
Thursday nights at the Majestic, 210 Lisburn Road, Belfast
 Marcus Patton
 Susan McDowell
A small amateur orchestra open to players of all ages and abilities. We don't play in public, but do end each term with a play-through to which friends are welcome. In recent years we have played symphonies by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bizet and Berwald along with many shorter pieces. We also organise a Come & Play event every summer that tackles bigger pieces.
Roger Jarvis
 
Portadown Music Centre (Bridge Street BT63 5AE), Saturday afternoons, fortnightly
 Roger Jarvis 028 3834 1952
 Brigid Walton 028 3833 2371
Founded in 2004 as a community orchestra for adults who are keen to maintain - or revive - their instrumental skills through exploring the orchestral repertoire, it draws members from a wide geographical area. They include some current and former instrumental teachers, players who learned through one of the NI Music Services, and others from different backgrounds or further afield. We give two or three formal concerts a year, usually with another amateur music group and often for charity.
David Openshaw
Ottoline Maas
South Belfast on Tuesday evenings from September to May each season, 7.30 pm.
 via website
 
Founded in 1947, and as originally intended, the Orchestra continues to provide an opportunity for non-professional musicians, who come from all over Northern Ireland on a weekly basis, to play a wide range of music.
Whitehead Community Orchestra
Michael Russ
Susan Shepherd
Whitehead Community Centre on a Monday evening from 7.30-9.30pm
 June Edgar (secretary)
 
We would be delighted to have a 2nd trumpet, a french horn player too and perhaps another trombone player to complete our brass section. Our string players are excellent but we could do with a few more in each section to balance their strength of playing with that of the wind section. So if all this wets your appetite then we would be delighted to hear from you. Good music, refreshments and friendship - all for £2 weekly. Some people may feel that Whitehead is a long way away - then let me tell you about three members who make the journey from Coleraine/ Ballymoney every week without fail. Such is the dedication of our members. If you live in that direction I am sure they would be delighted to share transport with you.

If you have any information you'd like to appear here about a non-professional orchestra you conduct, play in or know of, let me know: ku.gro.sartsehcroruetama@ffoeg
(You won't be able to cut and paste this address from here directly, you'll need to type it in to your favourite email program)

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