In June 2026, Brussels Jazz Orchestra will be taking the big band ARKestra under its wing for a week. This international group of young people consists of top musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, supplemented by talent from Codarts in Rotterdam and Hochschule Für Musik und Tanz Köln. The students will rehearse for a week under the guidance of BJO musicians, learning repertoire written by aspiring composers from the various conservatoires. The icing on the cake? A double bill with Brussels Jazz Orchestra.
The initiative for this joint venture came from the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. Over the past ten years, the Antwerp big band, led by Bert Joris and Kurt Van Herck respectively, has collaborated with various European and American conservatoires. These partnerships have facilitated artistic exchange and enabled students to significantly expand their networks. The band has shared the stage with big names such as Joshua Redman (2018) and Chris Potter (2022). In 2026, Lennert Baerts – lecturer in composition and arrangement in Antwerp and assistant artistic leader at BJO – will be in charge of the project.
By bringing this new generation into contact with the musicians and team of Brussels Jazz Orchestra, the students can get a taste of the inner workings of a professional orchestra. In addition to coaching and rehearsals, the young people also have the opportunity to interact with the BJO musicians, and their hard work (both on and off stage) is put in the spotlight. This is an unmissable collaboration that fits perfectly within the educational ambitions of BJO.
LINE UP ARKestra
Saxophones
Alto sax 1: Fons van Aerschot
Alto sax 2: Charel Maes
Baritone sax: Tuur Dumoulin
Tenor sax 1: Bolster de Koster
Tenor sax 2: Kasper van Broeckhoven
Trombones
Trombone 1: Tijl Allaerts
Trombone 2: TBC
Trombone 3: TBC
Bass trombone: TBC
Trumpets
TBC, Winter Dieleman, Lisa van Campenhout, Bas Manderveld, Kasper Schalckens
Rhythm section
Piano: Bruno de Smet
Bass: Laris D’Hose
Drums: Rune De Groote
Guitar: TBC
Arrangers
Fons van Aerschot, Bruno de Smet, Miel de Koninck and five others (to be announced later on)
