YANA

YANA (Joanna Bieńkowska), instrumentalist and composer based in Gdańsk, Poland, where she graduated from the Academy of Music in the violin class. She has already performed many times in Poland and abroad, both solo and with chamber ensembles and orchestras.

YANA creates music that combines classical instruments: piano, strings, and electronics. In April 2022 she self-released her debut album „Solace”. The record features minimalist piano solo pieces and meditative dialogues between the piano and strings. At the same time, it includes complexed compositions based on electronics and the sound of analog synthesizers.

This whole spectrum of instruments and arrangements is a reflection of the artist’s musical preferences, changing sensibility, exploration, and constant excitement about new textures.

While creating the videos for the singles which promoted her album, she cooperated with amazing visual artists from the Berlin-based collective Magnificent Matter as well aswith the polish director Magdalena Zielińska and dop Mateusz Kanownik. The music video for the song „June”created by this duo premiered on prestigious platform Director’s Library.

In May 2022 YANA opened Robot Koch’s new album release event in Berlin with the support act. Robot Koch is widely known and acclaimed German producer and composer of electronic and modern classical music. In summer 2022 YANA promoted her debut album performing as one of the artists invited for the biggest concert tour in Poland – Męskie Granie – she performed among the biggest stars in the polish music industry.

In March 2023 her song „Stella de Oro” was picked for Nils Frahm’s famous Piano Day playlist on Spotify. YANA was celebrating this special event playing the concert at the Catalyst Insitute in Funkhaus among Sofi Paez and Rubin Henkel.

The artists has performed on polish and international stages, e.g. in Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic.

YANA cooperated, among others, with the singer Oly., the producer and multi-instrumentalist of MaJLo, Pepe. and others.

YANA’s songs received air time not only in Polish but also on foreign radio stations, such as Berlin’s neoFM / FluxFM or one of the most famous American radio stations with alternative music – KEXP.

She also creates commissioned works, e.g. the soundtracks, music for exhibitions, animations. She made music for the short movie „Nice to Meet You” directed by Marianna Korman, which premiered in June 2021 at the international Tofifest Film Festival in Toruń, Poland and for the other short movie by the same director – „uRodziny”, which was premiered at the international film festival Camerimage in Poland.

In April 2024 YANA released a single promoting the very first OPIA Label Compilation. OPIA is a community, festival, and the record label founded by Ólafur Arnalds. The compilation premiered on May 16th.

Second full-length album „Daydreamer” was released on October 23, 2024, under the OPIA Community label. Daydreamer delves deep into the human psyche, charting a path from inner darkness to emotional renewal. The album begins with introspective, melancholic pieces like „Now It Begins”, which reflect themes of anxiety and self-reflection. As the album unfolds, it gradually shifts toward lighter, more hopeful tones. „Ikigai”, inspired by the Japanese concept of finding purpose in life, features dynamic piano motifs and bright harmonies that symbolize a sense of personal awakening.

Other highlights include „Spring”, which is filled with ethereal strings and rhythmic layers, capturing the feeling of renewal and hope after a long struggle. The album’s latter half emphasizes warmth and healing, with tracks like „Tender”, gently reminding listeners of the power of self-compassion through delicate piano melodies.

Daydreamer is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric exploration of the emotional landscapes that define the human experience. YANA’s ability to combine rich string arrangements with subtle electronic elements creates a soundscape that is both haunting and uplifting. Perfect for fans of contemporary classical music, ambient sounds, and thoughtful, immersive listening experiences. This album marks another step forward in YANA’s journey as an artist, offering listeners a deeply personal and transformative musical experience.

On January 16, 2025 YANA released an EP „The Light Between Us” – the result of a very unique project she was involved in 2024. Malaysian painter Sylvia Ong invited YANA to create 6 songs, which in turn were to be an inspiration for artist’s new paintings. This collaborative project resulted in an exhibition „The Light Between Us” that took place in the Almine Rech gallery in Brussels in November 2024, where music and image existed together for the first time.