the metropole orkest announces 80th anniversary album ‘arakatak’

Jan 16

On the 2nd of march 2026, the Metropole Orkest, the world's largest pop and jazz orchestra, will release a special album in honour of its 80th anniversary. The anniversary album brings together the talents of eight leading composers. The result? Music that represents the Metropole Orchestra of the future. The title track, “Arakatak”, is available to listen to from today.

“Arakatak” is an album full of new orchestral jazz, with influences from film music. The title track was composed by horn player Morris Kliphuis. In addition, honorary conductor and master arranger Vince Mendoza, saxophonist and producer Donny McCaslin, permanent guest conductor Miho Hazama, saxophonist Tineke Postman, drummer Mark Guiliana, pianist Shai Maestro and composer Louis Cole have contributed new compositions. The album is performed by the Metropole Orchestra conducted by Miho Hazama, the Tokyo-born composer and arranger who works in New York.

With “Arakatak”, the Metropole Orchestra underlines its original mission: to take light music to a higher level and constantly explore new musical avenues. Eighty years after the first telegram that led to the orchestra's founding, “Arakatak” looks emphatically ahead.

The album release will be celebrated on 6 March 2026 with an exclusive live presentation at De Hallen in Amsterdam, where the audience will sit in the middle of the orchestra and experience the music up close through headphones. During this evening, the audience will also be treated to the premiere of a video clip created especially for the Metropole Orchestra by cartoonist Typex.

The album “Arakatak” will be released on 6 March 2026 via V2 Records.

Tickets for the album launch, including the vinyl album of “Arakatak”, are available here.