Paul is an acclaimed composer, cellist, and curator. The Washington Post describes him as “a restless and multifaceted talent who plays well with others,” noting that “even with this chronically collaborative spirit, Wiancko maintains a singular voice as a composer.”
As cellist of the Kronos Quartet, Paul has helped to bring the quartet’s activist-minded, boundary-crossing repertoire everywhere from Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House to ancient amphitheaters, clubs, and decommissioned nuclear bunkers. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “the most adventurous string quartet on the planet,” Kronos currently serves as the first-ever ensemble in residence at the Doomsday Clock. Paul is also a founding member of Owls, a quartet-collective dubbed a “dream group” by The New York Times.
As a composer, Paul’s music has been described as “dazzling” and “compelling” (Star Tribune) as well as “joyous, riotous” and “delicate” (The New York Times). His string quartet LIFT, featured on the Aizuri Quartet’s Grammy-nominated album Blueprinting, prompted NPR to write, “If Haydn were alive to write a string quartet today, it may sound something like Paul Wiancko’s LIFT.” His works have been performed by leading ensembles including the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Attacca Quartet, and Calder Quartet, and by artists such as Alisa Weilerstein and Alexi Kenney.
In addition to performing and composing, Paul Wiancko is Director of Chamber Music at Spoleto Festival USA, where he hosts, curates, performs, and commissions new works for the festival’s cornerstone chamber series. He has served as composer-in-residence at institutions including the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Spoleto, La Jolla Summerfest, and Portland Chamber Music Festival, and remains active as a record producer, educator, and advocate for new music.
