Founded in 2013, Hard Rain is a world class group of musicians based in Belfast, dedicated to the performance of modern and contemporary music.
Northern Ireland's cutting edge contemporary music ensemble.
SEASON
2025/26
Full pdf
Programme
HARD RAIN SOLOISTENSEMBLE
Coming up
12th December 2025
Interior Scenes
A meaningful programme, showcasing highly accomplished works for ensemble. We mark the 90th birthday of celebrated Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
24th January 2026
Parallel Lines
An Irish/US programme, celebrating the 90th birthday of legendary minimalist composer Steve Reich and the diversity of music in each country.
27th Feb-6th Mar 2026
Peaceline Perspectives
IRELAND TOUR - Highly evocative pieces from the North of Ireland. The music is interwoven with voices and soundscapes inspired around Belfast’s Peaceline.
Hard Rain News
Hard Rain News
We’re delighted to be one of the grantees of British council’s 2025/26 Connections Through Culture scheme. After a memorable trip to the Beijing Modern Music Festival earlier this year, we’ll partner with the festival again and perform a concert in Belfast (May 2026) where we’ll present a specially curated programme that features contemporary Chinese composers.
We are delighted to announce a new residency at Cityside Retail & Leisure Park, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts & Business NI, and Cityside. This initiative aims to bring contemporary music, visual art, and immersive experiences to a wider audience through an engaging and innovative program.
We are delighted to announce the recipients of our ‘Ink Still Wet’ commissioning scheme for our 2024/25 season. This scheme is supported by PRS Foundation as part of our Talent development network programme and offers paid commissions to early-career composers which will be performed by Hard Rain in our Ink Still Wet concert this season.
Releases
PDF copy
Season 25/26 brochure
Discover everything we have planned for this season by downloading our interactive brochure, or pick up a physical copy at one of our concerts.
HRSE Debut Album
A Terrible Beauty
Released on Diatribe Records in 2021.
A former Guardian pick of the week with works by eleven Irish composers, it is “...an extraordinary demonstration of the sheer range of colour it is possible to extract from this type of ensemble... in terms of performance standard and range of music commissioned, this CD set makes one look forward with anticipation to Hard Rain’s second decade promoting Irish composition.” (The Journal of Music)
Funders & partners
Discover More As a Member
The achievements of the Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble reflect the core values of the Arts Council’s strategic plan, ‘Championing the Arts 2024-34’, particularly in their ambition to develop and showcase chamber music that is experimental, innovative and excellent. As principal investor through our National Lottery funds, we are proud to support another outstanding programme from one of the most interesting and dynamic ensembles currently performing anywhere on these islands.
Ciaran Scullion
Head of Music and Opera: Arts Council Northern Ireland
Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble have played a vital role in creating programmes and composer development schemes that ensure that music creators and new music audiences are at the centre of efforts. They work tirelessly to offer transformative support to composers and reach new audiences for the benefit of all involved. The impact of their work locally, nationally and internationally is clear for all to see.
Becci Scotcher
Senior Grants & Programmes Manager: PRS Foundation