Justyna Jablonska

Justyna Jablonska is a cellist who mixes improvisation with electronics and found sounds to create richly layered soundscapes. Her 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. Her path as a classical musician has been shaped by that rigorous training—and by her 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.' Her approach aims to reinvigorate improvisation, blending idiomatic expressions with freer forms of spontaneous musical creation. Since 2014, she has been collaborating with non-Western musicians, and in 2019, was among the first cellists to improvise within the stringent confines of the raga in the Carnatic tradition. Her 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 her latest work, which is deeply personal, she revisits the sounds of her musical beginnings, infusing Polish avant-garde with elements of Roma, Jewish, punk, and other eclectic influences.