Sophia Kickhofel is a renowned jazz alto saxophonist based in New York City. In recent years, she has performed with musicians including DeeDee Bridgewater, Sean Jones, Peter Washington, and the late Russell Malone. Alongside these musicians, Sophia has performed at widely acclaimed venues including Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Annenberg Center, and Dizzy’s Jazz Club. Outside of performances as a sideman, Sophia performs internationally as a band leader. She has brought her group to venues including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium, CloseUp NYC, Smalls Jazz Club, Ornithology Jazz Club, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Iowa Jazz Festival, Eau Claire Jazz Festival, and the Dakota Jazz Club. Sophia’s musical journey started at the age of 14, where she started performing jazz music at venues across the Twin Cities. She gained popularity in Minnesota and began to win national competitions by the age of 16, including the YoungArts Finalist Award, Yamaha Young Performing Artist Award, National Association for Music Education Award, and the Irv Williams Fellowship. She also participated in national programs including National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYO Jazz) led by Sean Jones, Vail Jazz Workshop, and Jazz Aspen Snowmass led by Christian McBride. In regards to education, Sophia graduated from the Juilliard School in 2025 where she was mentored by bassist Ben Wolfe and alto saxophonist Bruce Williams. After her graduation, she went on tour across South Korea with her quartet to present a collection of new musical works. Sophia currently performs as a sideman and band leader in New York City with the intention of using music as a method of creating a sense of community among audiences and shining light on the joys that can be found in the mundane, everyday tasks of life. She draws inspiration from the beauty and serenity of nature and the inspiring people around her.
The Sophia Kickhofel Quartet presents audiences with original compositions and renditions of familiar jazz standards that are an amalgamation of the traditional jazz canon and the avant-garde. Through an exploration of melody and harmony, contextualized using familiar swing grooves, the members of the Sophia Kickhofel Quartet seek to create a space that fosters empathy across diverse audiences and reminds them of memories they hold close to their heart.
