“A synergy that’s electric.”

“Kristina’s fiddling ranges through the languid and dreamy right through the sprightly driving, and more that is inventive and exciting. Justyna’s mastery of the strings displays technique and skill born of years of study and practice, that is altogether engaging.”

Woodlands is violinist Kristina Leesik and harpist Justyna Krzyżanowska.

Their interest for Scottish music brought them together in Glasgow back in 2017. Since then, they have released a debut album, performed at numerous festivals (Urkult, Umefolk, Lugo Music Festival, Norrköpings Folkmusikfestival, Göteborg Folk Festival), written and toured their children’s show The King’s Crown and collaborated with duos Bäckafall and Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen Gira.

The sound of Woodlands is not just about Scottish traditional music. They blend it with Kristina’s roots in Swedish traditional music and Justyna’s interest in groove and percussive playing. Their arrangements often feature original tunes.

Woodlands creates a new world where a mix of genres meet and explore a new landscape of how jigs, reels and songs can be played in our time today.

Meet Woodlands

  • Swedish riksspelman, singer, teacher and composer from Stockholm, based in Glasgow.

    Kristina studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm during 2015-2020 where she completed her Bachelor and pedagogical studies in fiddle and traditional Swedish Music.

    Her love for Irish and Scottish music, which began after a trip to Ireland in 2013, has led her to studying and completing a master in Scottish traditional music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow in 2023.

    Kristina performs solo and in bands such as: Woodlands, Woodlands+ Bäckafall, Tern and Slängpolskekompaniet. In 2022, she collaborated and performed with Kristin Hagegård and Almas band at the Jerash festival in Jordan.

    She’s received scholarships from Sweden, UK and the US, which have given her the opportunity to develop as a musician and follow her dreams in music. Kristina has also received the prestigious silver badge Zornmärket and earned the title of Rikspelman, master of Swedish traditional music.

    She is currently worked as a violin teacher for children and adults privately and at different organisations such as Féis Rois and El Sistema.

  • Harpist and singer.

    Justyna Krzyżanowska is a harpist from Stockholm, Sweden. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Music from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and a Master’s degree in Scottish Traditional Folk Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. She’s studied for harpists Gertrud Schneider, Lisa Viguier Vallgårda (Stockholm Radio Symphony Orchestra) and Corrina Hewat.

    Justyna has performed both within the folk music scene in Sweden, UK and the US as well as with classical orchestras and choirs in Sweden (Stockholm Radio Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Swedish Opera). She is the recipient of several scholarships including Kungl. Musikaliska Akademiens Nationella Stipendium and Gålöstipendiet.

    She enjoys playing the harp in more inventive and experimental ways, and especially likes exploring grooves and rhythms. Besides performing with Woodlands and Woodlands+Bäckafall, she’s also playing with Scottish harpist Lucie Hendry in the band Flora and Fauna, mixing harp, electronic sounds and beats. In 2022, she released two folktronica singles under her own name in a collaboration with her brother, producer Smowkdragon