The Bavarian Youth Jazz Orchestra meets the SU Jazz Band – A Big Band Celebration

Experience an electrifying evening of big band jazz as the Bavarian Youth Jazz Orchestra (BYJO) from Germany joins forces with the Stellenbosch University Jazz Band (SUJB) at the Daisy Jones.

Tue 26 May 2026

Daisy Jones, Summerhill Wines, R44, Stellebosch

Doors open 17h00

Show starts 19h00

Delicious food and drinks available at the venue.

Seated show inside.

Table bookings for big groups essential: WhatsApp +27 64 968 2015

The BYJO is one of Germany’s leading youth jazz ensembles, dedicated to fostering outstanding young jazz talents between the ages of 16 and 25. As a flagship project of jazz education in Bavaria, the BYJO brings together excellence in artistic performance, innovative education, and international exchange. Above all, it’s about being together – a shared experience that’s fun, pressure-free, and full of energy and joy that connects. Empowering each other is the orchestra’s guiding theme.

The Bavarian Association of Singing and Music Schools enables this unique educational project, which you can’t find anywhere else in Germany. The orchestra’s own pedagogical concept takes top priority in everything it does. BYJO is not a traditional concert orchestra with a fixed repertoire. Pieces are not rehearsed note by note or copied from templates - the journey leads through personal musical experience toward an extraordinary blend of joy, and virtuosity at the highest level. What you will hear is spontaneity, creativity, and improvisation. Enjoy a rich mix of swing classics, modern jazz, Latin jazz, jazz-rock, funk, and even hip hop – featuring original arrangements and compositions by the orchestra itself.

Sharing the stage is the SUJB, a cornerstone of jazz performance at the SU Konservatorium. Drawing on a proud tradition of collaboration with artists including Judith Sephuma, Gloria Bosman, Hilton Schilder and Bheki Xhosa, the award-winning ensemble presents South African jazz in a vibrant big band context, honouring the nation’s musical heritage.

Founded by Felicia Lesch, the SUJB now continues to shape the next generation of jazz musicians under the direction of drummer and arranger Pascal Haas, alongside pianist and composer Ramon Alexander.

This concert is the culmination of an intensive week of workshops and masterclasses between the two ensembles and is embedded into Stellenbosch University’s first-ever Big Band Festival – a celebration of learning, collaboration, and the power of jazz, that is not to be missed.