Following the call for applications launched in autumn 2025, Grands Formats welcomes four new members: one French collective and three European large ensembles.
Think Big! network continues to grow, building a vibrant community of jazz and improvised music artists across 15 European countries !
In 2026, the federation brings together 113 large ensembles and collectives of jazz and improvised music – 86 members in France and 27 members across Europe.
© Nienke de Groot
MILLENNIUM JAZZ ORCHESTRA (Netherlands)
Direction : Joan Reinders
The Millennium Jazz Orchestra is a jazz orchestra consisting of professional Dutch, German, and English musicians under leadership by Joan Reinders.
The MJO strives for innovation and innovative compositions for big band and therefore almost exclusively performs its own compositions and/or arrangements by Joan Reinders and MJO members.
« The Netherlands, with a population less than that of New York State, is home to no less than four of the world’s most accomplished jazz ensembles—the Metropole Orchestra, the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, the Ebony Big Band and the Millennium Jazz Orchestra whose latest album, Lookin’ East, does nothing to subvert its status as a member of the Big Four. Indeed, there is ample cause to argue that the MJO belongs at the very top of that plateau, steep as it may be. » Jack Bowers – All about Jazz (Lookin’ East)
JAZZ ORCHESTRA OF THE CONCERTGEBOUW (JOC) (Netherlands)
Direction : Juan Martinez
The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw (JOC) is a renowned Dutch jazz orchestra, founded in 1996 and affiliated with the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The orchestra, consisting of top-tier musicians, performs a mix of classic and modern jazz, collaborating with international stars and winning two Edison Awards. The JOC is also dedicated to jazz education and talent development through initiatives like the JOC Boot Camp.
© Pedro Lobo
ORQUESTRA JAZZ DE MATOSINHOS (Portugal)
Direction : Pedro Guedes
Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos is a non-profit institution promoting creativity, research, education and public awareness in the field of Jazz. Combining international ambition with a deep involvement with the local community, OJM plays the role of a National Jazz Orchestra. It performs repertoires from all aesthetic variants and eras of jazz. OJM considers itself a pioneer in a largely unexplored territory.
© Coline Godinot
L’OREILLE EN FRICHE (France)
Direction : Florent Brique, Elsa Lambey and Alexis Moutzouris (associated artists)
Based in Grenoble for the past twelve years, L’Oreille en Friche brings together musicians from the worlds of jazz and improvised music, as well as world music and contemporary music, under the leadership of its artistic director, Florent Briqué.
The collective’s productions share a passion for cultural fusion and an exploration of the interplay, transmission and evolution of popular and classical cultures across the continents. The projects aim to reveal the musical connections between peoples at a time when, despite intense geopolitical tensions, they simply aspire to live in peace.
Photo : Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos © Pedro Lobo
