Saxophonist and composer Kika Sprangers (1994) her music balances on a fine line between vulnerability and strength. A vision to combine the two, shared musically through a love for unorthodox instrumentation and tension arcs meant for symphonic passages or a heavy silence. Her new quintet album Mind’s Eye (2022) is an ode to imagination.
Her artistic quest revolves around what makes us human. Her debut album “Human Traits” (2019, several Edison nominations, Dutch Grammy) literally connects the human portrait to music in a collaboration with photographer Karen van Gilst, presenting illustrative music presented by the Kika Sprangers Large Ensemble.
With the Kika Sprangers Quintet they seamlessly blend wordless vocals (Anna Serierse) with saxophone, supported by a rich, dynamic rhythm section. Colouring Kika’s narrative compositions, intentionally unstructured and unexpected, pulling at the audience’s anticipations. Her style automatically and deceptively drags you along, yet remains unpredictable. Jazz music that sweeps from silence to symphonic proportions without resulting in kitschy cliches.
In the Netherlands, she is long recognized as one of the finest young talents in contemporary jazz, receiving numerous awards for her work as a composer and bandleader. She was awarded the Rogier van Otterloo Award 2021 (by the Metropole Orchestra) as an upcoming composer and did a 2-year artist-in-residence program at TivoliVredenburg Utrecht. In this trajectory (supported by the Dutch fund for Performing Arts) Kika recorded new music with her Large Ensemble and in duo with harp player Remy van Kesteren, guitarist Mikkel Ploug and pianist Kit Downes. These recordings will be released next year.
“Kika Sprangers tells a story like only the utmost promising artists can.” - Volkskrant ★★★★
“An enchantingly beautiful concert” - NRC Handelsblad ★★★★★
“Musical adventurer Kika Sprangers is showing strong growth and maturity as a musician” - All About Jazz
“With the album Mind’s Eye Sprangers stands out again with the beautiful balance between the carefully invented arrangements and the fairly and well-deserved confidence she has in her band members.” - TROUW ★★★★
“Kika Sprangers is not only an exceptional composer, as well as an instrumentalist with great lyrical qualities. - Jazzthetik ★★★★★
GROUPS
DUOS
KIT DOWNES - piano
MIKKEL PLOUG - guitar
REMY VAN KESTEREN - harp
KIKA SPANGERS QUINTET
KIKA SPRANGERS - saxophone | ANNA SERIERSE - vocal | KOEN SCHALKWIJK - piano and wurlitzer | WILLIAM BARRETT - bass | WILLEM ROMERS - drums
KIKA SPRANGERS LARGE ENSEMBLE
KIKA SPRANGERS - saxophone | ANNA SERIERSE - vocal | MARIT VAN DER LEI - vocal | NINA ROMPA - vocal | LIVA DUMPE - vocal | KETIJA RINGA KARAHONA - flute | ALISTAIR PAYNE - trumpet | METE ERKER - tenor saxophone and bass clarinet | MORRIS KLIPHUIS - french horn | KOEN SCHALKWIJK - piano and wurlitzer | WILLIAM BARRETT - bass | WILLEM ROMERS - drums