Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble: Talent Development Fund 2020
The Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble is the only professional musical ensemble in Northern Ireland to specialise in the performance of modern and contemporary repertoire. Its remit is to give a voice to our composers and to perform their music in the context of music by leading exponents of contemporary music from elsewhere in Europe and the rest of the world. It aims to programme music that otherwise cannot be heard live locally, while serving as an outlet for the talent of highly specialist performers and acting as a meeting point for their innovation, ideas and enthusiasm.
The ensemble was founded by the composer Dr. Greg Caffrey, who remains their Artistic Director. The core ensemble features Sinead Hayes – conductor, Aisling Agnew – flutes, Sarah Watts – clarinets, Joanne Quigley McParland – violin, David McCann – cello and Daniel Browell – piano. The ensemble is frequently joined by many other leading performers from the UK and Ireland’s new music scene.
Hard Rain is a dynamic newcomer to the UK music scene having performed music by over 100 composers in the short 7 years they’ve been in existence. The repertoire has included important titans of modern and contemporary music such as Schoenberg, Takemitsu, Carter, Boulez, Reich, Bartok, Sciarrino, Berg, Donatoni, Ligeti, Xenakis, Henze, Gubaidulina, Feldman and Webern to name a few, as well as featuring a wide range of composers from N. Ireland. Their concerts have also frequently given a platform to young and early-career composers and they supplement their concert season with a programme of educational workshops (much of which is facilitated through QUB’s Industry Professional programme) as well as the creation of opportunities through their annual Peter Rosser Composition Award.
Each year HRSE mentors and promotes a Featured Young Artist selected by audition from the Ulster Youth Orchestra. Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble’s incredible line-up of players make the performance of contemporary music a central aspect of their creative lives. Hard Rain have been a featured ensemble at festivals including New Music Dublin, Sonorities Festival, Walled City Music Festival, Tempered Music Festival, Belfast International Festival as well as giving performances in collaboration with NI Opera, Moving on Music, Association of Irish Composers, Queen’s University, Ulster University, Maynooth University, Belfast Music Society, Peter Rosser Foundation, Ulster Youth Orchestra and Ulster Museum.
‘The TDP network is so important to us, particularly in Northern Ireland and especially in the field of contemporary music, as few opportunities exist otherwise for performance, commissioning and showcasing of new works. The 2020-21 season has been a real challenge due to Covid, but we feel that this is exactly the time when composers require support for their work, and so we have worked hard to provide continuity of opportunity and a platform for our composers.’