CLASSICAL
I completed an MMus in Advanced Instrumental Studies (Solo Cello) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with a Distinction, preceded by a BA in Music (1st class) at the University of Oxford, where I was a Performance Scholar at Christ Church College. As a teenager I studied at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. Throughout my studies I received scholarships including Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Academy of Music scholarships, Countess of Munster Award, Oxford Philomusica Award, Oxford Instrumental Award, Joan Conway Fund, Ruth Waddell Prize for String Players and a Lake District International Festival Scholarship. I was twice selected for the Finals of the Muriel Taylor Award for Advanced Cellists and was selected for the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme: Composition and Performance in 2019. I feel very lucky to have had lessons and masterclasses with many inspiring teachers and exceptional cellists, including Ursula Smith, Stefan Popov (student of Rostropovich), Gregor Horsch, Alexander Baillie, Emma Ferrand, Alban Gerhardt, Rebecca Gilliver (Principal Cello, LSO), Zoe Martlew, Michal Kasnowski, Pal Banda and Bozidar Vukotic.
‘Compelling and moving, a true artist… she has achieved a high level of technical accomplishment which she backs up with an original and enquiring mind.‘ – Ursula Smith (Zehetmair Quartet, Principal Cellist Scottish Chamber Orchestra)
‘an inspiring and highly imaginative range of colours’- Gregor Horsch, (Soloist, Principal Cellist Royal Concertgebow Orchestra)
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
I really enjoy playing 20th Century and 21st century Classical music for solo cello and chamber ensembles and find it especially interesting and rewarding working closely with composers on new commissions. I love being a part of the creative process in bringing the score to life for the first time and exploring the exciting range of colours and textures that the cello can achieve!
In 2019 I was selected by audition for the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme: Composition and Performance, studying and performing 21st century works for Sinfonietta by Knussen, Birtwhistle, Takemitsu, an Earle Brown graphic score for String Quartet and workshopping pieces by exciting young emerging composers. We were conducted by Jessica Cottis and Duncan Ward and received incredible coaching from cellist Zoe Martlew. I was also selected to be a Performance Fellow at the avant garde Bang on a Can All Stars Summer Festival in the USA, run by American composers Julia Wolfe and David Lang. I’ve performed world premieres for solo cello and chamber ensemble by many brilliant composers, including works by Samantha Fernando and Stef Conner (Royal Philharmonic Society Award winners), Deborah Pritchard (British Composer Award winner), Elspeth Brooke (Royal Opera House Composer in Residence), Samuel Bordoli (Tete a Tete Opera Festival), Dave Maric, Jason Anderson, Benjamin Harry Graves, Pete Yarde Martin and Gregor Riddell.
“Achingly beautiful solo” – Dave Maric
“brilliant, sensitive and hugely expressive performance of my solo cello piece From Night“ -Deborah Pritchard
Dot Squiggle Rest – I played cello, sang and acted in the ambitious experimental opera ‘Dot Squiggle Rest’ at the Royal Opera House and Polka Theatre from May-July 2015. Composed by Elspeth Brooke and directed by Joy Haynes, a specialist in puppetry, this abstract and playful show used puppetry, dance, music and visuals to introduce very young children (0-4!) to opera and theatre. I performed in a spinning chair on a movable set, alongside dancer Jazmina Sipila and Soprano Sarah Dacey of Juice Vocal Ensemble. There was a great deal of complex but ultimately fun multi-tasking involved!
‘outstanding performances of a vibrant and mesmeric opera…the three performers are excellent…’-Everything Theatre
‘Zosia Jagodzinska on cello sounds gorgeous’– British Theatre Guide
RECORDING SESSIONS
I’ve played cello on a broad range of records, from contemporary jazz and soul to electronic, experimental, folk, world fusion, singer-songwriter and pop, as well as Film and TV soundtracks. I work regularly with Grammy, MOBO and Mercury nominated musicians, producers and engineers including Sonny Johns and Femi Temowo. I am increasingly being employed as a String Arranger, providing solo improvisations, creating multi-layered string arrangements with my loop station and composing for String Quartet. You can hear some of my arrangements and improvisations on records by Djrum, Bicep, Isaac Birituro and The Rail Abandon, The Naked Eye, Fini Bearman, Raph Clarkson and Rebecca Raw.
LISTEN HERE: SPOTIFY DISCOGRAPHY PLAYLIST
Click on the titles below to buy the music and support these artists!
The Naked Eye- New Eyes (2021)
Fini Bearman- La Loba (2020)
Bicep– Meli (i)– Isles (NinjaTune, 2021)
Roly Witherow- Ballads and Yarns (2020)
Kaleida- Odyssey (2020)
Isaac Birituro and The Rail Abandon- Kalba (2019)
DJRUM- Portrait with Firewood (R&S Records, 2018)
Kaleida- ‘Tear the Roots‘ (2017)
The Dissolute Society- Soldiering On (2017)
Baxter Dury- Prince of Tears (2017)
Sophie Cameron– Fold, The Mesmerist, Spaces Between, Afterimage, Pretexts, One Race:
The Dualers- Palm Trees and 80 Degrees (2019)
Labrinth– Take me to the Truth (Syco, 2016).
Josef Salvat- Night Swim (Sony, 2015)
Femi Temowo– The Music is the Feeling (2016)
Orlando Seale and The Swell, LIVE EP (2014)
Engines Orchestra- Lifecycles (2014)
Sarah Warne (Award-winning Film and TV composer with Faber Music): ITV crime thriller ‘Prey’, ‘She’s French’, animated film ‘The Magnificent Lion Boy’ and various other commissions.
Roly Witherow, Film/TV composer: ‘Waking David’ feature length film, various short films and commercials.
Alex Bradley, Film/TV composer- feature length film soundtrack.
Dear Joy Debut EP 2013. http://www.dearjoymusic.com
Twin (Belgian indie/folk duo) Shapes and Colours EP, 2012.
JAZZ AND IMPROVISATION
Since 2014 I’ve enjoyed playing in a number of contemporary jazz and improvisation ensembles including Engines Orchestra, The Dissolute Society, Simon Roth’s ‘Land Of If’, and in jazz vocalist Fini Bearman’s projects: ‘La Loba’ and Midnight Radio.
LA LOBA– FINI BEARMAN- REVIEWS: ‘the beautifully expressive playing of Zosia Jagodzinska, whose complete engagement with the music adds immeasurably to the overall effect, nowhere more so than on the beguiling ‘Holding On’. Peter Quinn- Jazzwise
‘The album’s most distinctive instrumental sound, key to evoking its many moods and sensations, is Jagodzinska’s cello. Whether she’s partnered with nothing more than Bearman’s voice or blending together with overdubbed vocals and multiple instruments (‘My Ideal’), Jagodzinska’s playing is sympathetic and imaginative.’ Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz
I am principal cello in the cross-genre ensemble ‘Engines Orchestra’ founded by Saxophonist and Composer Phil Meadows. We’ve performed and recorded a variety of exciting new commissions. In 2015 we won the ‘Parliamentary Jazz Ensemble of the Year’, played sold out gigs at Ronnie Scotts, Kings Place and Scarborough Jazz Festival and recorded MOBO-nominated Femi Temowo’s album ‘The Music is the Feeling’. During 2016 and 2017 we performed at Love Supreme Festival, London African Music Festival and the TW12 Jazz Festival (broadcast live on Radio 3) and collaborated with American trumpeter Ingrid Jensen who uses a loop station to create evocative soundscapes. We also performed Dave Maric‘s genre-defying masterpiece ‘Decade Zero’ with Internationally renowned piano trio Phronesis at the Cheltenham, Manchester and London Jazz Festivals, with the premiere recorded live for BBC Radio Jazz on 3 and televised on Mezzo TV.
‘An absorbing, mercurial show‘- John Fordham, Guardian
‘Engines orchestra rip through Ronnie Scotts….Flitting between through-composed passages and free improvisation… lush beds of strings and soaring brass…rich in imagery” – Jazzwise
Listen/Buy ‘Lifecycles’ album: enginesorchestra.bandcamp.com/releases
THE DISSOLUTE SOCIETY
I love playing with this group of inspiring musicians and good friends, bringing to life original music by Jazz Trombonist and Composer Raphael Clarkson, alongside Raph’s arrangements of pieces by John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler. The music blends experimental and groove-based jazz, improvisation, spoken word and contemporary classical elements. We are currently recording our sophomore album to be released in 2022! Our debut album ‘Soldiering On’ is available here:
Listen below to one of our free improvisations for Cello, Trombone and Piano, with renowned ECM artist Huw Warren. This improvisation is based around a theme by one of my favourite composers, Bela Bartok!
LIVE RECORDING: TRIO IMPROVISATION
“a supergroup…they spin great tunes of their own but here pay their dues to Kenny Wheeler…a raft of talent”– Verity Sharp, Late Junction, BBC Radio 3
‘brave, original music…. this performance was a triumph for Clarkson and his colleagues, they were given a great reception by a jam packed Vortex crowd…’ – thejazzman.com
DANCE COLLABORATIONS
I studied contemporary dance seriously as a teenager and am now an enthusiastic Lindy Hopper in my spare time! I love the expressive freedom, lightness and spontaneity I feel when dancing, as well as the strong and grounding connection to pulse and rhythm.
I’ve worked as an improvising cellist and composer with choreographers in Research & Development projects, public performances and dance films including:
Original score for Anna Watkins‘ duo dance ‘Repel‘ (2019) screened at UK and International Film Festivals; Original song used in Anna Watkins solo dance film ‘Identity‘- (2020); WatkinsDance at Rambert and Laban; The Playground at Rambert Dance; Tavaziva Dance at The Place; Sarah B Kristiansen at Chisenhale Dance Space and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
“Zosia is an incredibly talented artist. Her ability to understand and produce music that you imagined is amazing. Professional, creative and a pleasure to work with. Cannot wait to work with her again” –Anna Watkins, choreographer, dancer and filmmaker.
SONGWRITING AND COMPOSING
Songwriting
Born to an English teacher and Polish journalist, I developed a love of reading and writing poetry and short stories from a young age, which naturally evolved into songwriting later on. At University, I felt inspired reading about the changing relationships between music, literature, art, philosophy and psychology, particularly in the 20th and 21st Centuries. My favourite poems are rich in vivid imagery, rhythm and musicality, including works by Dylan Thomas, Walt Whitman, TS Eliot and Rainer Maria Rilke. My favourite contemporary songwriters include Fiona Apple, Laura Marling, Fini Bearman, Laura Moody and Amanda Palmer.
My debut EP of original songs Eros and Thanatos (cello, piano, voice, percussion), was released in 2016. Drawing influence from the 20th century classical music I love playing on the cello, and the contemporary folk and singer-songwriters I’ve grown up listening to, the EP was described as: “wonderfully captivating and engrossing…. full of great depth, power and integrity. Haunting vocals, beguiling…unique.. The music glides between the stark and melancholic to the sprightly and engaging, all magnificently captured.”- Bob Mulvey- The Progressive Aspect
The record received airplay on BBC Radio 3: The Late Junction, on Verity Sharpe’s show and led to many exciting creative collaborations, with the songs being used to soundtrack numerous dance and theatre performances and short films.
Listen/Buy here: EROS AND THANATOS BANDCAMP
I am currently in the process of recording a full length album of new material so keep an eye out for this in 2022!
COMPOSING SOUNDTRACKS
As a postgraduate at the Guildhall School, I took the composition electives ‘Music for Media’, ‘Electro-Acoustic Music’ and ‘Cross-Arts Collaboration’, allowing me to explore and develop my interest in the emotional power of music to enhance other art forms, and to learn how to use composition, recording and production software including Logic Pro and Sibelius. My music has been used in short and feature length films including:
Identity– Experimental Dance film by Anna Watkins (cello layers+voice); Selected for Demetera International Film Festival, Paris 2021. Tim Porter: Its A Colour Thing (piano+vocal) Oliver Guy Watkins: Salient (cello+vocal) and Always in the Present (piano);
DANCE and THEATRE
Repel– Duet by choreographer Anna Watkins (cello layers, electronics). WatkinsDance and Tavaziva Dance– cello improvisations in reaction to dancers’ movements and choreographers’ ideas for numerous R&D projects and performances. Choreographer Sarah Louise Kristiansen at Chisenhale Dance- Dance inspired by Plato’s Symposium (cello+vocals). Rogues Gallery Theatre ‘The Folk Contraption’- cello+vocals underpinning monologue. Institute of Contemporary Arts ‘fig 2’ series: cello + vocals in performance art installation with dancers and Korean artist Young In Hong.