BIO

Justyna Jablonska is a Polish-born cellist based in Edinburgh. During the past decade, she has carved out an exciting career at the forefront of both Western contemporary classical and fusion music. A virtuoso cellist and an improviser, Jablonska is passionate about cross-disciplinarity and experimental performance. An avid performer, Jablonska is recognised for her talent, versatility, and diverse repertoire. She regularly performs at classical and world music events across the UK and Europe. 

In 2025 Justyna received funding from Chamber Music Scotland EDI fund and Creative Scotland Open Fund for her new multimedia, solo cello work. In June 2024 Justyna performed for Dior cruise 2025 fashion show in Drummond Castle in Scotland, which was streamed live across the world.  In 2022 she released her first cross-cultural album with Carnatic violinist Jyotsna Srikanth "Songs for Cello and Carnatic Violin" funded by Creative Scotland. In the same year she premiered her first multimedia solo work "Lost and Found: A Cellist's Journey" funded by the Made in Scotland showcase. 

In October 2023 Justyna obtained a PhD in creative music practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, which focused on collaborative work with a South Indian female violinist, drawing on Carnatic traditions and free improvisation. Her PhD was fully funded by the Carnegie Trust PhD Scholarship. 

Justyna holds a Masters Degree from the RNCM, taught by Peter Dixon (Principal Cello, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra). 

Since her appearance at the Lucerne Festival Academy in 2014 where her focus was on contemporary music (working with Sir Simon Rattle, Barbara Hannigan, Matthias Pintcher) she went on to study privately with Paris’ Ensemble Intercontemporain cellist – Eric-Maria Couturier. Her journey with Lucerne Festival let to ongoing performances as part of Lucerne Festival Alumni, which she thoroughly enjoys. 

Her album releases include: 

Songs of the Roma with Simon Thacker, funded by Creative Scotland, release date - December 2024

Songs for Cello and Carnatic violin - with Carnatic violinist Jyotsna Srikanth (funded by CS) 

Strata - with violinist Emma Jane Lloyd 

Karmana – with guitarist Simon Thacker (funded by Creative Scotland). 

ARTIST'S STATEMENT 

I am a cellist working with improvisation and live electronics, creating layered sound through looping and real-time processing. My performances move between structure and spontaneity, combining elements of classical training and experimental approaches.
I draw on a range of influences, including Polish experimental music, Carnatic traditions, punk, and electronica. I often work across musical systems, bringing together different ways of organising sound while leaving space for improvisation.
On stage, my cello becomes both a melodic and textural instrument, building evolving soundscapes that shift between rhythm, harmony, and noise. 
 

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.

Today, my art is a personal journey to the roots of my musical upbringing. It's a tapestry woven with threads of the Polish avant-garde, the soulful narratives of Roma melodies, the defiant spirit of punk, and an array of eclectic influences. Each piece is a conversation with the past, a dialogue with the present, and a bold gaze into the future of musical expression.