Acclaimed and eclectic cellist Paul Wiancko has performed all over the world, from solo appearances in Warsaw's National Philharmonic and Brazil's Teatro Nacional to chamber music performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to jazz shows at the Hollywood Bowl and the Blue Note in New York. The scope of his talent and passion extend well beyond performance—Wiancko is an accomplished composer, producer, and collaborator, and has worked with an array of iconic artists, from jazz greats Chick Corea and Etta James to rock legends Dave Stewart and Joe Cocker. Flip through a portfolio of Wiancko's own work and you may land on anything from an electronic cartoon soundtrack to an experimental suite for strings to a Hip-Hop Cello Concerto, the New York premiere of which was described by Sequenza21 as "surprising, fun, fresh, and even innovative."

Wiancko has soloed with orchestras across the United States, South America, and Europe, but considers himself a chamber player at heart. Over the years, Wiancko has cultivated his love of chamber music (and hiking) in the beautiful settings of the Aspen, Perlman, Olympic, and Marlboro music festivals, and has shared the stage with many of today's classical masters, including Richard Goode, Midori, Joseph Silverstein, and members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, and Ysaye quartets. Wiancko regularly appears as a guest with ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra) and the Mark Morris Dance Group.

Wiancko's multifaceted musical personality was established early on. In his youth, Paul was described by many as a child prodigy, which belied the fact that much of his practicing was stealthily devoted to improvising, playing songs from his favorite albums, and composing. Wiancko attributes this to a relatively short attention span (which has "since elongated, but not by much"), as well as an early introduction to classic rock, folk, and hip-hop. At 17, he moved to Los Angeles, where he studied cello with Ron Leonard while winning top prizes at competitions around the world. Simultaneously, Wiancko gained a reputation as an innovative and virtuosic studio musician, able to improvise in any style and compose parts on the spot. In 2006, he founded LiveStringTheory, a studio devoted to recording live strings in collaboration with bands, artists and producers. Wiancko's compositions and arrangements can be heard on numerous albums, films, and commercials.

The desire to create and ability to self-teach have always been the driving forces behind Wiancko's carreer choices—and hobbies. These days, Paul is proficient enough on a classical guitar to stumble through Albéniz's Asturias and Led Zeppelin's Since I've Been Loving You on the electric, as well as Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight on the piano. Paul is an amateur blues harmonica, berimbau (single-stringed Brazilian instrument), and theremin enthusiast, and is a self-described "fairweather photographer" and "karaoke tenor."

Paul Wiancko performs on a 2010 Mario Miralles cello commissioned for him by the Maestro Foundation in Santa Monica, California. Wiancko currently resides in Brooklyn and is the cellist of the award-winning Harlem Quartet.