Brussels Jazz Orchestra

Brussels Jazz Orchestra (BJO) is a large jazz ensemble with big band line up that was founded in 1993 by Frank Vaganée, Serge Plume, Bo Van der Werf and Marc Godfroid.
BJO enjoys cross-over with other genres and collaboration with outstanding soloists. Big names such as Joe Lovano (US), Maria Schneider (US), Kenny Werner (US), Dave Liebman (US), Dave Douglas (US), Gianluigi Trovesi (IT), McCoy Tyner (US), Maria João (PT), Kenny Wheeler (GB), Lee Konitz (US), Perico Sambeat (E), Enrico Pieranunzi (IT), and many others have already worked with BJO. Belgian jazz greats such as Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Michel Herr, Bert Joris and others have also produced with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. Brussels Jazz Orchestra celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2023. Artistic director Frank Vaganée is at the helm.

In 2006 the band was awarded the Flemish Cultural Prize for Music. Since then the reputation of the orchestra has grown, so that it is now requested for performances at jazz venues around the world, including Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Jazz à Vienne and the Paris Jazz Festival in France, Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, and many other festivals and venues.
In February 2012 The Artist won the Oscar for Best Original Film Score, a composition by Ludovic Bource. The big band music of this soundtrack was performed by the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.