Forest

Songs for Cello and Carnatic Violin

Bhagyadaya Lakshmi - Raga Shree - Adi Talam

Varnam - Raga Mohana - Adi Talam

it's all a mess

Bloki

Husyckie

Flight Mode

2. Sagala

1. Azure

I am a cellist who mixes improvisation with electronics and found sounds to create richly layered soundscapes. My work delves into the interplay between freedom and constraint. Born in Poland, I was raised amidst the remnants of communist rule, attending a music school that was still cast in the Soviet mould at the time. My path as a classical musician has been shaped by that rigorous training—and by my pursuit to transcend its limitations.

Free improvisation has been pivotal in avant-garde movements over recent decades. Yet, creating sound sequences that break free from established musical idioms often leads to the dilemma of 'excess freedom.' My approach aims to reinvigorate improvisation, blending idiomatic expressions with freer forms of spontaneous musical creation. Since 2014, I have been collaborating with non-Western musicians, and in 2019, I was among the first cellists to improvise within the stringent confines of the raga in the Carnatic tradition. My collaboration with Jyotsna Srikanth, "Songs for Carnatic Violin and Cello," deconstructs Carnatic music in an innovative way, featuring improvised passages and layered cello sections to create harmonic interplay.

In my latest work, which is deeply personal, I revisit the sounds of my musical beginnings, infusing Polish avant-garde with elements of Roma, Jewish, punk, and other eclectic influences.

Justyna Cello

Popular tracks