ABOUT
From deep stillness to orchestral power: that is the widely praised palette of saxophonist and composer Kika Sprangers (Nijmegen, 1994). Listening to Sprangers is like looking at a painting by Rothko: within her musical fields of color lie hidden undercurrents that subtly carry the audience along. With her distinctive, melodic, and dark saxophone sound, Sprangers is a leading voice in the Dutch jazz scene. This status was underscored in 2025 when she won an Edison Jazz National award for the album (In)finity.
Sprangers’ music is an ongoing search for what makes us human. In her saxophone playing, she strives to approach the human voice as closely as possible, and vocals play a central role in many of her projects. In her quintet, for example, her saxophone intertwines with the voice of Anna Serierse, while in her Large Ensemble she performs with no fewer than four vocalists—resulting in a rare, orchestral sound.
Her musical language is praised for its emotional directness and harmonic richness. As a highly sought-after composer, Sprangers brings together musicians from different genres in striking and unexpected lineups. For the prestigious composition commission of the North Sea Jazz Festival, she combined the Netherlands Chamber Choir with a new jazz quintet in 2025, and in 2024 she used a commission from TivoliVredenburg to merge her Large Ensemble with the cinematic pop music of Thomas Azier. Earlier, for the November Music Festival, she expanded her Large Ensemble with harpist Remy van Kesteren.
Sprangers’ musical versatility is fueled by the diversity of outspoken musicians with whom she shares the stage. She performs with artists such as guitarist Reinier Baas, keyboardist Kit Downes, and pianist Harmen Fraanje, as well as pop artists like Froukje and LUWTEN, and classical musicians such as the ADAM Quartet. With the Norwegian supergroup Beiggja—featuring pianist Kjetil Mulelid, ECM recording artist bassist Mats Eilertsen, and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen—Kika released the acclaimed album Morning on the HUBRO label and toured in the Netherlands and Norway. As a sidewoman, Kika also performs in the Brainteaser Orchestra led by Tijn Wybenga, and in the electro-jazz band FENIX.
In September, her new project Hera will be performed in churches across the Netherlands. Later this year, her quintet will release a new album titled Rivers.
Alongside her work on stage, Sprangers is deeply committed to bringing jazz music to a wide audience. In Utrecht—the city where she graduated with distinction from the conservatory—she organizes concerts and jam sessions under the name Ultrajazz 030, and she produces the podcast Hoezo Jazz?! for NPO. In it, she and Koen Graat explore the stories behind legendary jazz albums.
AWARDS
& HONORS
- Edison Jazz Nationaal 2025
- Compositieopdracht North Sea Jazz Festival 2025
- Willem Breuker Prijs 2024
- Compositieopdracht TivoliVredenburg 2024
- Compositieopdracht November Music Festival 2023
- Compositieopdracht Ensemble Pynarello 2023
- Artist in Residence TivoliVredenburg 2021-2022
- Rogier van Otterloo Award 2021
- Young VIP Award 2018
