Bea Labikova

Bea Labikova is a Slovak-Canadian saxophonist and improviser whose music traverses free improvisation, avant-garde, modern jazz and Slovak folk music. You can find her exploring and playing across genres as part of many new music ensembles and ad hoc projects (Future Proof, Wow & Flutter, Lila Ensemble) as well as the avant-jazz group Triio or the contemporary afrobeat band Asiko Afrobeat Ensemble. 

In addition to specializing in alto saxophone, Bea has been developing her own innovative style on the fujara, a Slovak overtone flute. She adapted the instrument for use in free improvisation, taking it out of its traditional folk music context and exploring the fujara's percussive potential.

In her solo project, Mt. Joy, Bea couples wind instruments with electronic processing, creating spacious sounds that reflect the arctic tundra where she travels regularly. She is scheduled to attend an arts residency in Svalbard near the north pole to develop Mt. Joy’s photography-music album.

In the summer of 2021, Bea will release an album “No Beginning. No End” recorded with percussionist Germaine Liu and NYC’s bassist William Parker as well as a debut album with her avant-groove trio Future Proof. 

Currently a board member for Somewhere There Collective she is also the co-founder, visual artist and one-half of the driving force behind the Women From Space Festival.