About

My journey with music began at age 10 when I picked up the saxophone, and over the years, I’ve played in ska bands, countless jazz ensembles and orchestras, and eventually started to produce music. Along the way, I earned a Master of Music degree, performed at the London Olympics with Matthew Herbert, and released my debut jazz album, Journey, in New York City.

The pandemic turned my performing career and teaching business upside down, forcing me to pause and rebuild my life from the ground up. Now based in Amsterdam, I focus on creating sounds and tools for music production, produce and compose for others, while also blending live saxophone with electronics for my own projects.

Music is pure energy — it connects us, moves us, and gives meaning to our experiences. Whatever the search, music is always the answer. This belief drives everything I do, whether I’m creating, performing, or sharing my knowledge. It’s a call to explore, express, and create with freedom.

Biography

Ivan Baryshnikov, professionally known as Eváan [i'va:n], was born in 1990 and raised in Moscow. He began studying music at the age of 7, initially learning the recorder before switching to the alto saxophone at age 10. During his school years, Ivan formed several bands that played rock and pop covers. At 16, he joined a ska-core band, marking his first professional music experience, which included touring and recording two albums. He eventually left the band due to their ultra-right political views.

Despite his parents wanting him to study engineering, Ivan became serious about music studies and decided to pursue jazz professionally after attending an open day at a music college. This led him to perform with various jazz, nu-jazz, electronic, and rock projects, pop bands, and jazz big bands in Moscow. He was most influenced by players like John Coltrane, Michael Brecker and Bob Berg. Around ages 16-17, Ivan developed a passion for electronic music, thanks to his older brother, who introduced him to house and breaks music at nightclubs. He began experimenting with DJ equipment and installed Ableton Live 7 at 18, starting his journey into music production. His first DJ set in 2009, an eclectic mix, was not well-received, but his subsequent disco set at Solyanka Club in Moscow was a personal and professional milestone.

In 2010, Ivan continued his jazz studies at the Gnesins Academy of Music, graduating with honours. During his five years at the academy, he became a proficient tenor saxophone player and won numbers of performing and composing music competitions. A performance with electronic musician Matthew Herbert during London Olympics in 2012 solidified his idea to blend acoustic and electronic music for his own projects. At 26, Ivan moved to the Netherlands with his young family to pursue a Master of Music degree in Groningen, spending six months in New York City, where he recorded and released his debut jazz album "Journey". He supported the release with concerts at Bonafide, Rockwood Music Hall, Silvana, Shrine, and Sofar Sounds New York. During this time, Ivan became a father.

Upon returning to the Netherlands and completing his research paper on the development of a personal music voice, Ivan launched the project Eváan in 2019, which combined his expertise as a tenor saxophonist with his passion for electronic and dance music. However, being a young father, immigration difficulties and the pandemic together severely impacted his performing career and his music teaching business, Wavez Music School. This led to depression, significant financial debt, and eventually a side job in a professional kitchen. 

Over the next few years, Ivan resumed making and producing music, and creating sounds and tools for music production for others. He lives and works in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.