The Grands Formats federation was born in 2003 on the initiative of several jazz and improvised music conductors. Its foundation was meant as a manifesto, and its members still firmly claim it : big band music deserves complete acknowledgment and support, it is a unique form of art in which the liberty and creativity of each individual can be expressed fully and collectively.

Big bands and artist collectives are remarkable tools for creation ; strong with precious artistic heritage and history, they are nowadays experiencing rich and varied developments. They are places where life, ideas and knowledge are encouraged, confronted and passed on. In their relationship to art and to the world, they carry risk taking and imagination.

The federation presently comprises 109 members, be they professional big bands or artist collectives, French or European, which are representative of the extraordinary diversity found in jazz and improvised music. They are usually organized as their own production structure, thus guaranteeing their autonomy and artistic freedom. They produce their own performances, but also engage in multiple activities: creation and research residencies, concerts, education and cultural activities for all audiences, recordings, the organization of festivals…

In total, more than 1300 musicians, driven by an irresistible desire for music, are united to defend the existence and sustainability of big band music and to offer all audiences an exceptional experience !

Grands Formats is a place for solidarity and passing on knowledge, for debate and political construction as well as a tool for observation. The federation proactively partakes in public debates regarding the role of live music, be it on a local, national or international scale.

The missions of the federation are based on the following four axes :

• Raise awareness and boost the circulation of music played in large ensembles by organizing professional events, forming partnerships and implementing a 360° communication strategy,
• Bring the inner workings of the jazz and improvised music industry to light, as well as the issues artists and their teams encounter, by conducting regular surveys and studies,
• Support the professional integration of young musicians by developing student programs,
• Form a collegial body, representative of its artists, to participate in the structuring of the musical industry in all its diversity.