The music of Kika Sprangers (1994) is a refined blend of jazz and classical influences. The saxophonist and composer combines the lyrical quality of her instrument with a fascination for the human voice, which plays an important role in her work. Distinctive riffs, melodic lines, rhythmic variation and strong tension arcs characterize her compositions. Sprangers graduated cum laude from the Utrechts Conservatorium in 2016. Since then, she has established herself as a firm presence on the Dutch music scene.
Kika Sprangers has created an ambitious composition for the North Sea Jazz Composition Project with the title The Way Wild Rivers Flow. In it, she combines a mixed choir with a jazz rhythm section, supplemented by saxophone and trumpet. She builds on her previous experience with choral compositions and puts the emotional power of the voice at its heart. Sprangers strives to balance artistic freedom with structure, writing music for specific musicians and drawing inspiration from greats like Avishai Cohen and Maria Schneider. The result is a cohesive whole that offers room for both improvisation and personal expression. When performing this composition, Sprangers works with Nederlands Kamerkoor, consisting of 12 vocalists, as well as an ensemble with Reinier Baas (guitar), Tijs Klaassen (double bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) and herself on saxophone.
