Nanna Ikonen is a Finnish saxophonist, specialized in live electronics, currently based in Helsinki. Next to her work as classical saxophonist and educator Nanna’s present interests are in contemporary and new music, live electronics, music theatre, free improvisation, composition and complexed rhythm. Combining these skills Nanna’s electro-acoustic ensemble KOÄX premiered her composition Not I in the Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2017 (NL).

Nanna is working both locally and internationally on various projects as performing musician and creative collaborator. Nanna plays a role as solo saxophonist in the theatre play Miss Julie at the TTT-Theatre in 2019. She is a collaborative artist in the Kunsthalle for Music (by Ari Benjamin Mayers) that has it’s next exhibition in the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin in 2020. Nanna is actively working with her ensembles: Saxtronauts (FI), Baltic Sea Saxophone Quartet (FI-EE-LV-LT) and Helsinki Saxophone Orchestra (FI). Her duo with soprano Elizabeth Hetherington (CA) is touring in the Netherlands in 2020.

Nanna got her Master of Music degree in Live Electronics at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in 2017 and her Bachelor degree in Classical Saxophone at the Utrechts Conservatorium in 2015. Before that she studied music at Helsinki Conservatory, Metropolia AMK and Sibelius Academy, in Finland.

Nanna’s work as international freelance musician has brought her to perform at many important venues like Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ and Paradiso in Amsterdam, and with many important ensembles like Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, to name a few.

Finnish Cultural Foundation and MES foundation have supported Nanna.