Justin Wright

Montreal cellist and composer Justin Wright shapes his output around unhurried drones and spare arrangements while also incorporating electronics, field recordings, and ambient layers across introspective, frequently poignant works. Earlier pieces concentrated on contemporary classical forms, yet his 2022 release A Really Good Spot turned toward modular synthesizers, lo-fi techniques, and both sung and spoken vocal elements.

Wright developed within Montreal’s tightly connected music scene, dividing his efforts between experimental indie-rock ensembles and classical settings. He formed close ties with Common Holly and Mauritanian singer/songwriter Daby Toure while maintaining an independent compositional practice. His 2019 debut, Music for Staying Warm, originated during a residency at the Banff Center and recast ambient drones as pieces for small string ensembles. Composer Peter Broderick responded strongly to the album, interpreting several tracks on piano and issuing the interpretations in 2020 as the EP Peter Broderick Plays Justin Wright.

Wright’s follow-up, the 2022 album A Really Good Spot, departed from that first effort by weaving a broader palette of modular-synthesizer patches, electronic elements, and captured human voices into his cello-centered pieces.