Ulster Orchestra and the BBC

The partnership with the Ulster Orchestra and the BBC is long-established and unique – helping to make orchestral music available to everyone.

It provides a showcase for creative excellence and includes a busy programme of broadcast concerts and events.

Innovation has been at the heart of this special relationship. Together, we have been able to facilitate new music commissions, nurture talent and entertain BBC audiences at home and around the UK.

Orchestral music has been part of the BBC’s work in Northern Ireland since the start of local broadcasting over 100 years ago. And it remains as important, relevant and engaging as ever.

“The BBC’s longstanding partnership with the Ulster Orchestra is celebrated in concerts programmed and recorded specially for broadcast in Radio 3's Classical Live and the New Music Show. We're looking forward to bringing the music of this brilliant orchestra to all our listeners throughout their season.”

Sam Jackson, Controller, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms

“The BBC’s partnership with the Ulster Orchestra has audiences and creativity at its core. Our broadcast concerts have provided a showcase for the orchestra's skills and versatility and they are a reminder of the important role that orchestral music plays in the cultural life of our region - and its ability to inspire and entertain.”

Adam Smyth, Director, BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Radio 3 Concerts in the Ulster Hall

*These concerts will go on sale soon.

Wednesday 12 August 2026, 2pm
Conductor Simon Crawford-Phillips

Tuesday 18 August 2026, 2pm
Conductor Jac van Steen

Wednesday 26 August 2026, 2pm
Conductor Matthew Quinn

Thursday 26 November 2026, 2pm
Conductor Michael Collins

Tuesday 19 January 2027, 2pm
Conductor James Ham

Thursday 21 January 2027, 2pm
Conductor James Ham

Thursday 4 February 2027, 7pm
BBC Radio 3 New Music Show

BBC NI Centenary concert, 'The Living Air' at St. Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, September 2024.
The Ulster Orchestra, conductor Daniele Rustioni and pianist Francesco Piemontesi at the BBC Proms 2024 in the Royal Albert Hall, London. Photo: Mark Allan/BBC.
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and his band LYR perform with the Ulster Orchestra at The Shipping Forecast Prom in the Ulster Hall, August 2025.
The Ulster Orchestra perform in the Watefront Hall, Belfast for BBC NI's 'A Century of Stories' televised concert, 2024.