Ensembles · Orchestra

Orchestra tours of Ireland and the UK

Play in concert halls and historic churches, share music with local players, and leave the logistics to musicians who know what an orchestra needs.

Start planning your tour
Orchestra performing to a full concert hall, the kind of concert an orchestra tour builds towards

What an orchestra tour with Upbeat looks like

A typical Upbeat orchestra tour runs for five to seven nights and visits two or three cities, with a concert in each. Orchestras travel with a lot of people and a lot of equipment, so we plan the details that make or break a concert: rehearsal time in the hall, chairs and stands, percussion and keyboard hire, and a schedule that leaves your players fresh for the performance.

5 to 7

nights

2 to 3

concerts in great venues

Side by side

sessions with local musicians

Concert halls, cathedrals and historic churches

An orchestra needs the right room: space on stage for every section and an acoustic that suits the music. These are some of the venues we work with, from major concert halls to churches where the whole town turns out to listen.

Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, one of the city's concert venues for touring orchestras

Dublin

National Concert Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral

The River Lagan in Belfast, where touring orchestras can perform at the riverside Waterfront Hall

Belfast

Waterfront Hall

Edinburgh's skyline from Calton Hill, a city of cathedrals and concert venues for touring orchestras

Edinburgh

St Giles' Cathedral and St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral

Colourful village on the Irish coast, the kind of town where a visiting orchestra fills the parish church

Towns and villages

Parish churches and community halls, where a visiting orchestra is the event of the year

Violinists performing in concert, the kind of local players a visiting orchestra sits side by side with

Side by side with local musicians

We pair orchestras with local players from different musical traditions, so a concert becomes a real exchange. Your orchestra might share a programme with a youth orchestra, a choir or Irish traditional musicians, or sit side by side with local players in a joint piece. Off stage, there is time to talk, compare notes and make friends.

Your orchestra could perform alongside

Youth orchestras · Choirs · Irish traditional musicians

Workshops with leading conductors and players

Our team have spent many years as performers and music educators, and that network reaches conductors, educators and players across Ireland and the UK.

Conductor leading an orchestra's string section, as in a workshop with a guest conductor on an orchestra tour

Rehearse with a new conductor

Work on your own repertoire with a guest conductor or section coaches, and hear your music from a fresh perspective.

Musicians playing traditional Irish music in a pub session, where visiting orchestra players can learn tunes by ear

Learn tunes the traditional way

Join a session with Irish traditional musicians and learn a tune by ear, the way fiddlers and flute players have for generations.

Collage of Upbeat co-founders Keith Kelly and Gabby on their travels, at castles, historic sites, coastlines and concerts

Planned by professional musicians

Upbeat was started by musicians. Keith Kelly spent many years as a performer with the Irish Defence Forces bands, works as a music educator and conductor, and is one of the founders of the Irish Symphonic Wind Orchestra. Gabby is a trained soprano who has performed with choirs in the USA and Ireland. We know what an orchestra needs from a venue, a rehearsal and a schedule, because we have been on stage ourselves.

Meet the musicians behind Upbeat

Festivals for orchestras

Where orchestras tour

[Quote from an orchestra director, once they have agreed to it being used]

[Director name], [orchestra name]

Orchestra tour questions

  • Not always. Large percussion, keyboards and sometimes double basses can often be hired locally, which saves on flights and freight. We'll look at what your programme needs and suggest the simplest option.

  • We build a rehearsal or sound check into each concert day, so your orchestra can settle into the hall's acoustic before the audience arrives. How long depends on the venue, and we'll agree it with you in advance.

  • Often, yes. Side-by-side sessions and shared concerts with local musicians are one of the best parts of an orchestra tour, and we'll look for the right partner for your players and your repertoire.

  • Most are five to seven nights, visiting two or three cities with a concert in each. We would rather give your orchestra time to enjoy each place than rush from one stage to the next.

  • School, collegiate and community orchestras of all standards. We match venues and partners to your group, whether you're a youth orchestra on its first tour or an adult community orchestra.

Start planning your Upbeat tour today

Tell us about your group and where you'd like to perform. We'll shape the tour around your ensemble and handle the details, so you can focus on the music.

Start planning your tour