Paul Wiancko (born 1983) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

cellist The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...

of the

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...

Early life and education

Paul Kenji Wiancko was born in

San Clemente, California San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway betwee ...

. He began playing the

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

at age 5 and composed his first piece at age 8."Paul Wiancko Brings World Premiere, Widely-Influenced Style to Chamber Music Series"
''South Carolina Public Radio'', 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2017-05-12. After high school, he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to freelance while earning cello performance degrees with

Ronald Leonard Ronald Leonard is an American cellist. He has had a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, principal cellist and teacher. He is currently on the faculties of the USC Thornton School of Music and the Colburn School. He was a winner of ...

from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

and the

Colburn School The Colburn School is a private music school in Los Angeles with a focus on music and dance. It consists of four divisions: the Conservatory of Music, Music Academy, Community School of Performing Arts and the Dance Academy. It is located adjace ...

. While in school, Wiancko converted his dormitory room into a production studio, where he arranged and recorded strings for bands like

Yellowcard Yellowcard is an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997 and was based in Los Angeles beginning in 2000. The band is recognized for having a distinct sound in their genre, primarily due to the prominent use o ...

and

Veruca Salt Veruca Salt is an American alternative rock band founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992 by vocalist-guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post, drummer Jim Shapiro and bassist Steve Lack. They are best known for their first single, " Seether", that ...

. From 2009 to 2011, Wiancko attended the

Marlboro Music Festival The Marlboro Music School and Festival is a retreat for advanced classical training and musicianship held for seven weeks each summer in Marlboro, Vermont, in the United States. Public performances are held each weekend while the school is in sess ...

Cicely M. Eastman
"Peter, Paul and Judith!"
''Brattleboro Reformer'', 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2017-05-12. where he performed with

Richard Goode Richard Goode (born June 1, 1943) is an American classical pianist who is especially known for his interpretations of Mozart and Beethoven. Early life Goode was born in the East Bronx, New York. He studied piano with Elvira Szigeti, Claude Fra ...

Mitsuko Uchida is a classical pianist and conductor, born in Japan and naturalised in Britain, particularly noted for her interpretations of Mozart and Schubert. She has appeared with many notable orchestras, recorded a wide repertory with several labels, w ...

, and members of the

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

and

Guarneri Quartet The Guarneri Quartet was an American string quartet founded in 1964 at the Marlboro Music School and Festival. It was admired for its rich, warm, complex tone and its bold, dramatic interpretations of the quartet literature, with a particular aff ...

Career

Wiancko came to international attention in 2007 when he tied for 2nd Prize in the Lutoslawski International Cello Competition, which led to his playing the

Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...

Cello concerto with the

Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), is one of Poland's radio orchestra and premier musical institutions. It was founded in 1935 in Warsaw. In 1945 the orchestra was re-established in Katowice and since 2006 it has become a "Nati ...

. In 2009, Wiancko moved to New York City and shortly thereafter joined the

Harlem Quartet Harlem Quartet is a string quartet that was originally composed of first-place laureates of the Sphinx Competition for Black and Latino string players. They were formed in 2006. The members are first violinist Ilmar Gavilán, second violinist Meli ...

, with whom he performed for three years. During that time, Wiancko toured extensively with

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

, and appears on Corea's albums ''The Continents'' and '' Hot House'', the latter of which won a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

in 2013. Wiancko also performed with

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

at the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

and

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jaz ...

at the

Montreal Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

. From 2009 to 2023, Wiancko appeared as guest cellist with Eighth Blackbird,

Mark Morris Dance Group Mark William Morris (born August 29, 1956) is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments. Morris is popular among dance aficionados, ...

, Metropolis Ensemble, TAK ensemble,

Roomful of Teeth Roomful of Teeth is a vocal ensemble founded in 2009 by Brad Wells. Its stated mission is to "mine the expressive potential of the human voice".

, Parker Quartet, NOVUS NY, and East Coast Chamber Orchestra. Wiancko is a member of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, and has collaborated extensively with

Jóhann Jóhannsson Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson (; 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchest ...

and

Max Richter Max Richter (; ; born 22 March 1966) is a German-born British composer and pianist. He works within postminimalist and contemporary classical styles. Richter is classically trained, having graduated in composition from the University of Edinbur ...

, including giving the North American premiere of Richter's ''

Sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

'' at

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

in 2018. In 2011, Wiancko founded Big Purple Box, a recording studio in Brooklyn, New York, where he arranged and recorded strings for numerous artists, including

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

and

Wye Oak The Wye Oak was the largest white oak tree in the United States and the State Tree of Maryland from 1941 until its demise in 2002. Wye Oak State Park preserves the site where the revered tree stood for more than 400 years in the town of Wye M ...

Owls

In 2019, Wiancko—along with violinist Alexi Kenney, violist Ayane Kozasa, and cellist Gabriel Cabezas—founded Owls, a quartet-collective described as a "dream group" by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and noted for it's "unusual" make up, consisting of two cellists instead of two violinists.

Kronos Quartet

In 2023, Paul Wiancko became the newest member of the

,"Kronos Welcomes New Cellist Paul Wiancko"
''Kronos Performing Arts Association'', 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-03-15. succeeding cellist Sunny Yang. Kronos' Artistic Director David Harrington stated of the transition, "We look forward to soaring into the future with the catalytic, super-charged vitality of Paul’s playing. It will be so much fun to explore the vast world of music together with Paul." Wiancko first collaborated with the quartet in 2018, when Kronos commissioned Wiancko to compose a work for their ''50 for the Future'' initiative. From 2019 to 2020, Wiancko served as Kronos' guest cellist during Yang's maternity leave.

Composition

In 2013, the Parker Quartet commissioned Wiancko's first concert work, ''Strange Beloved Land''.Jeff Kaliss
"Paul Wiancko, Kronos Quartet’s New Cellist, Is Also A Composer"
''San Francisco Classical Voice'', 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-03-15. Wiancko has since composed works for the

St. Lawrence String Quartet The St. Lawrence String Quartet is a Canadians, Canadian string quartet, and one of Canada's premier chamber ensembles. The Quartet was founded in 1989 and has served residencies at the Juilliard School, Yale University, the University of Toront ...

Aizuri Quartet The Aizuri Quartet is an American string quartet formed in 2012. Known for its performance of new music as well as the traditional repertoire, it has served as the quartet-in-residence at a number of cultural organizations, including the Metropoli ...

,"Going_On_About_Town_-_Caramoor:_Aizuri_Quartet,_Pacifica_Quartet
".html" ;"title="Pacifica Quartet">"Going On About Town - Caramoor: Aizuri Quartet, Pacifica Quartet
"">Pacifica Quartet">"Going On About Town - Caramoor: Aizuri Quartet, Pacifica Quartet
" ''The New Yorker'', 2016-05-21. Retrieved 2017-05-12. Attacca Quartet, Calder Quartet, Susanna Phillips,Michael Huebner
"Twickenham Fest Expands to Five Concerts, Brings Array of Musicians to Huntsville"
''ArtsBHAM'', 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2017-05-12.

Alisa Weilerstein Alisa Weilerstein (born April 14, 1982) is an American classical cellist. She was named a 2011 MacArthur Fellow. Life and career Weilerstein was born in Rochester, New York. to a secular Jewish family. She started playing the cello at age four. ...

, Ayane Kozasa,

yMusic yMusic is an American sextet chamber ensemble from New York City. Consisting of a trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello, the group was formed in Brooklyn by trumpeter CJ Camerieri and violinist Rob Moose in 2008. Career The ensem ...

, Alexi Kenney, and others. In 2016, Wiancko composed the score for the crime drama feature film ''

Heartlock ''Heartlock'' is a 2019 American romantic crime drama film directed by Jon Kauffman and starring Alexander Dreymon, Lesley-Ann Brandt and Erik LaRay Harvey. It is Kauffman's feature directorial debut. Cast *Alexander Dreymon *Lesley-Ann Brandt ...

'', as well as a

Mars exploration The planet Mars has been explored remotely by spacecraft. Probes sent from Earth, beginning in the late 20th century, have yielded a large increase in knowledge about the Martian system, focused primarily on understanding its geology and habit ...

-based work for solo piano commissioned by scientist and NASA project leader Peter Smith. Wiancko has been composer-in-residence at

Spoleto Festival USA Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of America's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due ...

Music from Angel Fire Music from Angel Fire, (MFAF) is the first chamber music festival in New Mexico designed to serve the artistic needs of rural northern New Mexico communities. This touring summer chamber music festival currently produces 15 outstanding concerts in ...

, Twickenham Fest, Portland Chamber Music Festival, Newburyport Chamber Music Festival,"Chamber Music Artists"
''Methow Arts'', 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2017-05-12.

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a former estate near Katonah, New York United States, approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. Today it serves as a live music venue for symphonic, opera, chamber, American roots, an ...

, and the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival. In 2018, Wiancko received the S&R Foundation Washington Award"The S&R Washington Award Winners"
2018-04-17. Retrieved 2018-04-26. for his work as a composer. In 2022, he was named one of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

's'' "22 for '22: Composers and Performers to Watch."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiancko, Paul 1983 births Living people American classical cellists American classical composers University of Southern California alumni