Artist's statement
I am a cellist using improvisation and electronics to create richly layered soundscapes. In my work, I explore the juxtaposition between freedom and constraint and the realities of everyday life and nostalgia. I was born in Poland and grew up in the aftermath of the communist regime, attending a music school still in the Soviet mould. My career as a classical musician was formed by that training - and a search to escape its constraints.
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 and Jewish 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.