After his cum laude graduation at the Hilversum Conservatory in 1996, Ilja Reijngoud taught the trombone there. In 1997 he was the second Dutch student so far to receive the American Degree ‘Master of Music.’ Ilja is permanent member of Nueva Manteca, The Dutch Jazz Orchestra, The Houdini’s, The Cubop City Big Band, The Jasper van ‘t Hof Quartet, The Ilja Reijngoud/Bart van Lier Quintet and many other well-known Dutch groups. For the fourth time he was the featured soloist with the Metropole Orchestra. He is member of Gino Vannelli’s Dutch Beat Band.
Ilja worked and recorded with Tom Harrell, Ivan Lins, James Morrison, Jim Beard, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Bill Dobbins, Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner, Ed Neumeister, Vince Mendoza, Lester Bowie, Bill Holman, Dori Caymmi and many others.
In 1998 Ilja and his former teacher Bart van Lier founded an impressive trombone department at the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts). With classical collegues Alexander Verbeek and Brandt Attema they form the trombone Academy of Codarts, Rotterdam. Besides teaching main subject trombone, Ilja is leader of the conservatory bigband for the last 15 years, ensemble coach and arranging teacher.
In recent years Ilja taught clinics and workshops all around the world (Los Angeles, Shanghai, New Orleans, Barcelona, Cyprus). Warwick Music, England, publishes some of his compositions and arrangements. His arrangements and compositions are played by the Metropole Orchestra, both the Dutch Marine and Airforce Orchestra, the classical Trombone Collective and many other classical musicians, such as Ben van Dijk, Jörgen van Rijen and Henri Bok.
He was so far jury of the American Carl Fontana and Jay Jay Johnson Awards and the Dutch Prinsess Christina Concours.
His last recording `The Shakespeare Album’, won an Edison Award, 2009. Ivan Lins' cd with the Metropole Orchestra has won a Latin Grammy Award; Ilja is playing in the orchestra.