Paul Wiancko was recently featured in The Washington Post’s “22 for ‘22: Composers and Performers to Watch” and called “a restless and multifaceted talent who plays well with others,” a reference to Paul’s collaborations with artists ranging from Max Richter, Nico Muhly, Chick Corea, and Norah Jones to members of the Emerson, Guarneri, JACK, and Kronos Quartets--to bands like Arcade Fire, The National, Dirty Projectors, and Wye Oak. “Even with this chronically collaborative spirit,” the Post continues, “Wiancko maintains a singular voice as a composer.” Chosen as one of Kronos Quartet’s “50 for the Future,” Paul’s own music has been described as “dazzling” and “compelling” (Star Tribune), and “vital pieces that avoid the predictable” (Allan Kozinn).
A serial chamber musician, Paul’s performances with Musicians From Marlboro have been described as "utterly transparent" and "so full of earthy vitality and sheer sensual pleasure that it made you happy to be alive" (Washington Post). In 2009, he joined the award-winning Harlem Quartet, with whom he spent 3 years performing and teaching extensively throughout the US, Europe, South America, and Africa. Paul currently writes and performs as a member of the viola and cello duo Ayane & Paul and the quartet-collective “dream group” (New York Times) Owls.
Paul has been composer-in-residence at Spoleto Festival USA, Music From Angel Fire, Caramoor, Twickenham, and the Portland, Newburyport, and Methow Valley Chamber Music Festivals, and has composed works for the St. Lawrence, Kronos, Aizuri, Parker, Calder, and Attacca Quartets, yMusic, Alexi Kenney, Tessa Lark, David Byrd Marrow, and many others. NPR writes, “If Haydn were alive to write a string quartet today, it may sound something like Paul Wiancko's LIFT”–a work that “teems with understanding of and affection for the string-quartet tradition” (New York Times) and is featured on the Aizuri Quartet’s Grammy-nominated album Blueprinting, one of NPR’s top 10 classical albums of 2018.
Paul Wiancko performs on a 2010 Mario Miralles violoncello and resides in Brooklyn, NY. He enjoys woodworking and never travels without a tenkara fishing rod.
Commissioned Works | |
SOLOS | |
Our Rusty Planet |
Solo piano 2015, 7' |
X Suite ❖ |
Solo violin 2019, 15' |
Reactor |
French horn & delay 2020, 6' |
Sarabande |
Solo cello 2022, 5' |
Microsuite |
Solo cello 2022, 6' |
Allemande & Gigue |
Solo cello 2022, 8' |
DUOS | |
American Haiku ❖ |
Viola & cello 2015, 10' |
Viola Sonata: Buoyant Forces |
Viola & piano 2017, 24' |
Cello Sonata: Shifting Baselines |
Cello & piano 2020, 22' |
TRIOS | |
A Sanguine Clockwork ❖ |
Violin, viola, cello 2013, 9' |
Disintegration Lullabies |
Flute, violin, double bass 2019, 9' |
Clouds of Gill | Clarinet, violin, cello 2021, 15' |
QUARTETS | |
Toy Bricks ❖ |
Violin, 2 cellos, double bass 2013, 8' |
Strange Beloved Land ❖ |
String quartet 2013, 18' |
Ice Caves |
Violin, 2 cellos, piano 2013, 15' |
LIFT ❖ |
String quartet 2016, 25' |
When the Night ❖ | 4 cellos
2017, 8' |
Vox Petra ❖ |
2 violas, 2 cellos 2018, 10' |
Ode on a Broken Loom ❖ |
String quartet 2019, 10' |
Benkei's Standing Death |
String quartet 2020, 13' |
Only Ever Us |
String quartet 2020, 7' |
Purple Antelope Space Squeeze |
String quartet 2021, 11' |
CLIMB |
String quartet 2021, 15' |
QUINTETS | |
Closed Universe |
Solo cello, violin, viola, cello/glockenspiel (doubling), piano 2016, 7' |
Faults |
Oboe quintet (oboe & string quartet) 2019, 13' |
Cities of Air |
Flute quintet (flute & string quartet) 2021, 10' |
Tiny Doors to Big Worlds |
Cello quintet (2 violins, viola, 2 cellos) 2021, 22' |
1+1+1+1+1 |
Viola quintet (solo viola & string quartet) 2022, 16' |
SEXTETS + | |
cicada songs |
Soprano, string quartet, bassoon 2015, 15' |
thous&ths |
Violin, viola, cello, clarinet, flute, trumpet 2015, 8' |
Busy Signals |
10 partially buried pianos 2015, 8' |
ORCHESTRAL | |
Death Leaves a Cluttered City |
Full orchestra (3d1, 2, 2, 2 - 4, 3, 3, 1, timp, 4 perc, hp, pno, str) 2018, 10' |
FILM | |
Heartlock Original Score |
Strings, percussion, voice, electronics, etc. 2016, 110' |
![]() Bergamot Quartet In the Brink Album producer, composer (Ode on a Broken Loom) |
![]() Michael Torke Time Cello |
![]() William Brittelle Dido's Lament Violin, viola, cello |
![]() Flock of Dimes Like So Much Desire Arrangement, cello |
![]() DM Stith Waving 1-4 Arrangement, cello |
![]() yMusic Ecstatic Science Composer (thous&ths) |
![]() Norah Jones Pick Me Up Off the Floor Arrangement, cello |
![]() Tōth Practice Magic and Seek Professional Help When Necessary Arrangement, cello |
![]() Wye Oak The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs Arrangement, cello |
![]() Aizuri Quartet Blueprinting Composer (LIFT) |
![]() Aaron Roche HaHa HuHu Arrangement, cello |