The Codarts Bigband is the big band ensemble of the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts), founded by Bob Brookmeyer and Ab Schaap and led for over fifteen years by trombonist and conductor Ilja Reijngoud. Reassembled each year from international students of the jazz department, the band covers a wide range of styles - from jazz and Latin to Flamenco and Avant Garde. It is a regular fixture at the North Sea Jazz Festival and has performed with guest soloists including Maria Schneider, Rick Margitza, Jan van Duikeren and Shirma Rouse.
The Codarts Big Band performed on July 12, 2025 during the North Sea Jazz Festival, with trumpeter Jan van Duikeren as special guest.
The North Sea Jazz Festival 2026 again reserved a stage for Codarts Rotterdam talent, with the Codarts Talent Stage on July 11, 2026.
In 2022, the band performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival as the Codarts Antwerp Cologne Big Band, a collaboration project with conservatories from Antwerp and Cologne.
