Kiki Sprangers
From deep stillness to orchestral power: this is the widely praised palette of saxophonist and composer Kika Sprangers (Nijmegen, 1994). Listening to Sprangers is like looking at a painting by Rothko: beneath her musical fields of color lie hidden undercurrents that unconsciously draw the audience in. With her distinctive, melodic, and dark saxophone sound, Sprangers has become a leading voice in the Dutch jazz scene—a status underscored in 2025 when she won an Edison Jazz National award for her 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 instance, her saxophone intertwines with the voice of Anna Serierse, while in her Large Ensemble she performs alongside no fewer than four vocalists—creating 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 line-ups. For the prestigious composition commission of the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2025, she combined the Netherlands Chamber Choir with a new jazz quintet. In 2024, she used a commission from TivoliVredenburg to connect her Large Ensemble with the cinematic pop music of Thomas Azier and the National Women’s Youth Choir. For the November Music Festival, she performed with her Large Ensemble and guest artist Remy van Kesteren.
Sprangers’ musical versatility is fueled by the many distinctive musicians she shares the stage with. She has performed with, among others, guitarist Reinier Baas, keyboardist Kit Downes, and pianist Harmen Fraanje, as well as pop artists such as Froukje and LUWTEN, and classical musicians like the ADAM Quartet. With the Norwegian supergroup Beiggja—featuring pianist Kjetil Mulelid and ECM Recording Artists 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, she performs in Brainteaser Orchestra, led by Tijn Wybenga, and in the electro-jazz band FENIX.
In September, her new project HERA will tour churches across the Netherlands. Later this year, her quintet will release a new album titled river, river.
Alongside her work on stage, Sprangers is deeply committed to bringing jazz to a wider audience. In Utrecht—the city where she graduated with distinction from the conservatory—she organizes concerts and jam sessions under the name ULTRAJAZZ. She also produces the podcast How So Jazz?! for NPO, in which she and jazz programmer Koen Graat dive deep into jazz, exploring legendary albums, remarkable artists, and surprising subgenres.
Key recognitions:
- Edison Jazz National, 2025
- Composition commission, North Sea Jazz Festival, 2025
- Willem Breuker Prize, 2024
- Composition commission, TivoliVredenburg, 2024
- Composition commission, November Music Festival, 2023
- Composition commission, Ensemble Pynarello, 2023
- Artist in Residence, TivoliVredenburg, 2021–2022
- Rogier van Otterloo Award, 2021
- Young VIP Award, 2018