On Thursday, July 3, 2026, the Dutch Spirit Symphonic Jazz Orchestra—an expanded lineup of the Dutch Spirit Big Band with strings and wind—under the direction of composer Johan Boekema, presents the Groningen Jazz Symphony: a musical ode to the city of Groningen.

This full-evening concert takes the audience on a musical journey through the city. Each neighborhood acquires its own sound world: the rippling water, the Groningen wind, the lively cafes, and the characteristic brick architecture are audibly translated into music. Recognizable motifs move through the work, distorting, colliding, and flowing together into one grand symphonic whole.

The Groningen Jazz Symphony forms a unique encounter between jazz and classical music. Performed by a large ensemble of big band, strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, a rich and layered musical landscape emerges. Inspired by grandmasters such as Shostakovich, Gershwin, and Wynton Marsalis, yet rooted in a unique Groningen signature, the city finds a voice in sound.

Room for improvisation and short introductions from the ensemble give the work extra depth and make the experience direct and personal. In this way, Groningen itself becomes the starting point of the composition: not a backdrop, but the protagonist.

The Groningen Jazz Symphony is for everyone who is moved by music — whether you are a lover of classical music, jazz, or simply of the city itself. It is an invitation to experience Groningen anew, through the ears of musicians who hold it close to their hearts.