The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw (JOC) – the Netherlands’ best big band with the most swing, according to many – was founded in 1996 by Henk Meutgeert and others as the New Concert Big Band. Since 1999, on the initiative of then-Concertgebouw managing director Martijn Sanders, it has proudly borne the name of Het Koninklijk Concertgebouw ['The Royal Concert Hall'].

The JOC performs worldwide with jazz greats the likes of Benny Golson and Oleta Adams and talented young blood, with José James, Christian Scott and Ruben Hein among the pool. The JOC connects with its audiences, whether in large or smaller settings and makes jazz, in the broadest sense of the word, accessible to audiences of all ages and expectations. Through its shows abroad, the JOC manages to bring Dutch jazz far afield and to the stages of famous concert halls. Approximately 35,000 visitors are drawn to the JOC's concerts each year.

Principal conductor Dennis Mackrel

As of November 2015, the JOC is led by principal conductor Dennis Mackrel (1962). Mackrel started his professional career at the age of ten and at twenty became the Count Basie band’s youngest ever drummer. Mackrel played with orchestras such as The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Carla Bley Very Large Band and the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band. He grew from sideman to bandleader in his many partnerships with European orchestras such as the UMO big band from Helsinki (Finland) and the WDR big band from Cologne (Germany). In 2010 he returned to the Count Basie Orchestra as bandleader, where he remained until 2013.

The partnership with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw dates back to 2004, when he made several appearances as a drummer. Starting in 2014, Mackrel conducted the orchestra on numerous occasions, including in the historical main hall of the Concertgebouw.

Talent development

As pioneers in the Dutch jazz scene, the JOC has initiated two projects for top talent in (jazz) music: Rhythm Changes and the Arrangers project. Over the course of these projects, young talent got given the opportunity to experience large(r) stages in a professional environment. These projects bring new life and new music to the big band genre and build bridges between the generations on stage as well as reach out to audiences.

Line-Up: Juan Martinez artistiek leider, Dennis Mackrel chef-dirigent, Rob Horsting dirigent/chef arrangeur Saxen: Joris Roelofs (lead), Jorg Kaaij, Simon Rigter, Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, Juan Martinez Trompetten: Jelle Schouten (lead), Wim Both, Jan van Duikeren, Ruud Breuls Trombones: Jan Oosting (lead), Ilja Reijngoud, Bert Boeren, Martin van den Berg Piano: Peter Beets, gitaar: Martijn van Iterson, bas: Frans van Geest, drums: Marcel Serierse, Martijn Vink

Peter Beets has shared the stage with jazz greats like Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Chris Potter and John Clayton. He recorded with Jeff Hamilton and Curtis Fuller and in 2001 his recording "New York Trio" was released, which brought him international acclaim. Peter Beets was born on the 12th of June, 1971 in the Hague.
From birth he was surrounded by music: classical from his mother who is a music pedagogue, and jazz from his father who is a gynaecologist with a great love of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. This musical family, which includes two older brothers, Marius and Alexander, moved in 1972 to Groenlo, where Peter received his first piano lessons at the age of six. Although originally both parents did not associate the word "musician" with the word "career", music is definitely in the family's blood. Both Marius (1966) and Alexander (1968) become professionals on string bass and tenor saxophone, respectively. After college, Peter studied from 1989 at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He combined his music studies with law school, but the jazz virus matured and he decided to concentrate exclusively on music.
From 1985 the brothers performed together as “The Beets Brothers”. In 1988 Peter won the prestigious Pall Mall Swing Award and a year later the Princess Christina Award. After this point, Peter's career began to rise rapidly. In 1990 the first recording of The Beets Brothers appeared, followed by two more, School is Closed Now (1993) and Brotherwise (1995). In 1996, Peter recorded a remarkable trio album called “First Date”, with drummer Jeff Hamilton, the driving force behind Monty Alexander and Oscar Peterson. Peter became a much wanted pianist both inside and outside the Netherlands, and accompanied, among others, Deborah Brown, Dee Daniels and Holland's "First Lady of Jazz", Rita Reys. In 1998 he finished his conservatory studies, and won the Parisian Prix Martial Solal. He also became the regular pianist of “The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw”. With trombone and jazz legend Curtis Fuller, Peter made a live recording in 1999 and won in that same year yet another prize, the Concours de Solistes de Jazz in Monaco.
More recordings follow: in 2000 “Powerhouse”, in 2001 “All Or Nothing At All” In 2001 he recorded the CD “New York Trio”, with the rhythm tandem Rodney Whitaker and Willie Jones III, the first CD of Peter Beets recorded on the Criss Cross label. After the sequel, “New York Trio Page Two” recorded with the world-famous Larry Grenadier on bas he made a third CD for the label Criss Cross. This time with Reginald Veal on bass and drummer Herlin Riley, known from the group around Wynton Marsalis. In October 2007 his most recent CD appears on the renowned label. This time he chooses to perform without drums, but with the strength of piano, guitar and bass. The CD, called “New Groove”, is recorded in New York featuring Joe Cohn (guitar) and Reuben Rogers (bass). A few songs are recorded with a dutch cast, Martijn van Iterson (guitar) and Ruud Jacobs (bass).
Peter has had very successful tours with his trio in several countries in Europe such as Germany, Switzerland, Finland and Poland as well as in Japan and the US. He played at the famous Birdland Club in New York as a “special guest” for one week.

After his cum laude graduation at the Hilversum Conservatory in 1996, Ilja Reijngoud taught the trombone there. In 1997 he was the second Dutch student so far to receive the American Degree ‘Master of Music.’ Ilja is permanent member of Nueva Manteca, The Dutch Jazz Orchestra, The Houdini’s, The Cubop City Big Band, The Jasper van ‘t Hof Quartet, The Ilja Reijngoud/Bart van Lier Quintet and many other well-known Dutch groups. For the fourth time he was the featured soloist with the Metropole Orchestra. He is member of Gino Vannelli’s Dutch Beat Band.
Ilja worked and recorded with Tom Harrell, Ivan Lins, James Morrison, Jim Beard, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Bill Dobbins, Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner, Ed Neumeister, Vince Mendoza, Lester Bowie, Bill Holman, Dori Caymmi and many others.
In 1998 Ilja and his former teacher Bart van Lier founded an impressive trombone department at the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts). With classical collegues Alexander Verbeek and Brandt Attema they form the trombone Academy of Codarts, Rotterdam. Besides teaching main subject trombone, Ilja is leader of the conservatory bigband for the last 15 years, ensemble coach and arranging teacher.
In recent years Ilja taught clinics and workshops all around the world (Los Angeles, Shanghai, New Orleans, Barcelona, Cyprus). Warwick Music, England, publishes some of his compositions and arrangements. His arrangements and compositions are played by the Metropole Orchestra, both the Dutch Marine and Airforce Orchestra, the classical Trombone Collective and many other classical musicians, such as Ben van Dijk, Jörgen van Rijen and Henri Bok.
He was so far jury of the American Carl Fontana and Jay Jay Johnson Awards and the Dutch Prinsess Christina Concours.
His last recording `The Shakespeare Album’, won an Edison Award, 2009. Ivan Lins' cd with the Metropole Orchestra has won a Latin Grammy Award; Ilja is playing in the orchestra.

With his distinctive sound and energetic and lyrical approach, Rotterdam-based trumpet player Jan van Duikeren (1975) now ranks among a new generation of prominent musicians in the Dutch jazz scene. His extensive musical interests and outstanding versatility have ensured his success as a much sought-after solo player and side-man. This popularity has secured him an impressive array of musical outings with leading artists and band representing virtually all music genres.
The list of notable musical artists with whom he has performed includes Candy Dulfer, Bløf, James Carter, Paul Weller, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Sheila E, Gare du Nord, the Metropole Orchestra, Leon Ware, Diana Ross, Mathilde Santing, The Four Tops, Moon Baker, Alain Clark, Lionel Richie, New Cool Collective, Benjamin Herman, Liquid Spirits, Temptations, Paul Young, and Bob Brookmeyer.
Jan van Duikeren is currently performing with:

• Fingerprint, his own band which also features Tom Beek, Martijn Vink, Jesse van Ruller, Manuel Hugas and Ronald Kool
• Candy Dulfer, with whom he has been touring the main stages of the world for 15 years now. Jan is also responsible for a large section of Candy's brass arrangements as well as some compositions.
• The Special Request Horns, Jan's own brass section including saxophone player Guido Nijs and trombone player Louk Boudesteijn, for whom he also writes and arranges music
• The New Cool Collective Bigband
• The Jazzinvaders
• Caro Emerald. With the Special Request Horns

Compositions by Jan are played within all of these project, except for Caro.
In addition to playing with a wide range of artists, Jan has also written compositions and arrangements for the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Moon Baker, the Jazzinvaders, Gare du Nord, Liquid Spirits, Leona, Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, Sheila E, Leon Ware, The Players, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Xandra Willis, Mathilde Santing, Beef, Natalia, Thank God It's Friday (a live television programme in 2008 featuring Claudia de Breij), Rosemary's sons, Edwin Pennock and many others.

Ruud Breuls is a jazz trumpeter and session musician, who is also a member of the Metropole Orchestra. He studied at the conservatories of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. He won the Wessel Iicken prize in 1988, a prize to encourage young talented musicians. After his graduation he started teaching at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is one of the most sought after trumpet players in the Netherlands and, in addition to playing in the Metropole Orchestra, he is also a member of the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw and the Dutch Jazz Orchestra.

Simon Rigter (Leiden, 1973), the son of saxophonist Bob Rigter, studied from 1989 to 1996 at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with John Ruocco. He continued his studies with Ferdinand Povel at the Hilversum Conservatory, where ge graduated in 1997.

Simon recorded with the Dutch Jazz Orchestra, The Jazz Ochestra of the Concertgebouw, The Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, The Reeds, Curtis Fuller, Slide Hampton, John Marshall, Cees Slinger, Victor Kaihato, Peter Beets, Ruud Breus and many others. He performed with artists such as George Coleman, Elvin Jones, Joe Cohn, Jim Rotondi, Nancy Marano, Alvin Queen, Ferdinand Povel, Ruud Jacobs, Pim Jacobs, Frans Elsen, Rob van Kreefeld, Peter Beets and Marco Kegel and gave concerts in China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, India, Israel, Jamaica and Japan. He is a member of the Dutch Jazz Orchestra, The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, The Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, The Reeds, Saxology and various ensembles.