Biography
Critics have described Justina Repečkaitė’s music as having “many similarities to a diamond” (Ben Lunn, UK), “inviting, constantly changing, gritty and lustrous” (Max Erwin, USA), and “drawn with the sharpest pencil” (Šarūnas Nakas, LT).
After completing her Master’s degree in composition in France, she studied at the prestigious Cursus IRCAM. In Paris, Justina Repečkaitė (b.1989) was an artist in residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation, composer in residence with the ensemble Le Balcon (cond. Maxime Pascal) and held a scholarship at the International Centre of Nadia and Lili Boulanger. Later in Germany, she was an artist-in-residence at Villa Waldberta and at Schloss Wiepersdorf. In 2024, she was a composer-in-residence at the Cordes-sur-Ciel festival, and in 2025, artist-in-residence at the Lehtinen Foundation in Helsinki.
Both her compositions Chartres (2012) for string orchestra and Tapisserie (2015) for chamber ensemble represented Lithuania in World Music Days and International Rostrum of Composers.
Justina’s music and interview feature in the Radio France programme Création Mondiale. She has also given interviews for RTS, RPPT, Forum Opera, the Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the Composers on Air podcast. Her music has been broadcast by ARTE and Medici, and is available on Spotify.
In 2024, her orchestral composition Vellum (2020) was performed at both the Baltic and Estonian Music Days and the Paris Philharmonic.
Repečkaitė’s composition La muë (2024) for serpent, children’s choir & electronics, part of the project Janus, co-commissioned by Ircam & the Centre of Baroque Music Versailles, was performed at Ircam Espro with the virtual acoustics of the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles. La muë has been awarded as part of the 2024 Lithuanian Composers’ Works of the Year.
Her composition Whispering Skin (2024) for percussion and electronics was premiered by Eklekto in Geneva as part of their 50th-anniversary celebration.
In 2025, with support from the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, Justina composed music for Sfäärit, a project combining ancient instruments, electronics, and dance, which was performed at the Musica Nova festival in Helsinki. That same year, her new choral work Ugniavystas, commissioned by ACCENTUS, was performed by Le Jeune Chœur de Paris at La Seine Musicale and the CRR de Paris.
Justina is currently working on a new composition for Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, to be premiered at Muzikos ruduo – Baltic Music Days in Vilnius, Lithuania.
In 2026, her new work commissioned by Radio France will be premiered by accordionist Vincent Lhermet at the Festival Présences in Paris.
Performers
Justina’s music is performed by such ensembles as Recherche, Intercontemporain, Court-Circuit, 2e2m, der/gelbe/klang, Spectra, Asko/Schönberg, Ensemble Modern Academy, Collegium Novum Zürich, Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, OSSIA, Platypus, Ars ad hoc, Lithuanian Ensemble Network, Ithaca College Contemporary Music Ensemble, SurPlus, Ensemble XXI Jarhundert and by BBC Philharmonic & Sinfonietta Riga orchestras. She is regularly commissioned by Gaida, the biggest contemporary music festival in the Baltics, for which she has composed several orchestral pieces. Additionally, her music regularly presents Lithuania in Baltic Music Days a festival that has been taking place in one of the Baltic states since 2021.
Albums
The Music Information Center of Lithuania is releasing Repečkaitė’s first portrait album. Her compositions have previously been featured in anthology albums such as Between Music and Ritual (2021), Nouveaux Horizons (2020), 88+ (2020), ZOOM in 12 (2018), Anthology of Lithuanian Art Music in the 21st Century (2017), Contemporary Music Series: Lithuania (2016), ZOOM in 10 (2014) and 30 Druskomanija Moments (2014).