Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble is a world class group of musicians based in Belfast, dedicated to the performance of modern and contemporary music. The ensemble was founded by composer Greg Caffrey in 2013 and recently celebrated their 10th anniversary season.

In addition to their well-established concert series at home, and having performed at major festivals around Ireland, Hard Rain have also featured internationally at Musicahora Festival (Chile), Nieuwe Noten concert series (Amsterdam) and at Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), often incorporating workshops and masterclasses. As Ensemble in Residence at Queen's University Belfast, Hard Rain are dedicated Industry Professionals and are based at the Sonic Arts Research Centre, a state of the art facility opened by Karlheinz Stockhausen in 2004.

Hard Rain’s mission is to give a platform and visibility to the vibrant community of local composers, performing their work alongside the music of leading exponents of contemporary music worldwide. Through extensive commissioning and programming of cutting edge contemporary music, HRSE gives audiences access to music and composers’ voices that would otherwise not be heard. The group’s activities serve as a showcase for the talent of highly specialist performers, inspiring and developing the next generation of composers, musicians and audiences through innovation, ideas and enthusiasm.