Biography
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Born
1983 (age 41)
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Born In
San Clemente, Orange County, California, United States
Innovative cellist Paul Wiancko has garnered respect as a performer, collaborator, composer, and producer. Capable of weaving his "cellistry" into any genre, Paul has produced and recorded a wide array of projects, from indie rock and ambient tracks to his own "Hip-Hop Cello Concerto No. 1," the premiere of which was hailed as "surprising, fun, fresh, and innovative" (Sequenza21). In 2006, Paul founded a recording studio devoted to the production of live strings. He has since collaborated with producers from around the country and has written and recorded strings for various albums, films, and commercials. He is also a committed advocate for new music and finds great joy in collaborating with composers and performing new works. In Paul’s words, “Few things are as vital or as gratifying as ushering a new composition into existence.”
Paul made his solo debut at age 16 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and has since been the featured performer in venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw. In 2006, Paul received the grand prize at the Pasadena Showcase Competition. Shortly after, he became the only American to be invited to compete in the Lutoslawski International Cello Competition in Poland, where he was awarded 2nd Prize. He has also won top prizes in the John Walker, American String Teachers Association, and Debut competitions. A recipient of the Los Angeles Spotlight Award, Paul has received scholarship awards from the Los Angeles Violoncello Society and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
As a devoted chamber musician, Paul has performed alongside Lynn Harrell, Arnold Steinhardt, Midori Goto, Paul Coletti, Martin Chalifour, Ricardo Castro, Atonio Lysy, Ani Kavafian, and members of the Ysaye String Quartet. His past coaches include Donald Weilerstein, Itzhak Perlman, Ronald Leonard, Yo-Yo Ma, Truls Mork, and members of the Guarneri and Juilliard String Quartets. Paul has been invited to the Olympic, Laguna Beach, and Marlboro Music Festivals, and has attended both the Aspen Music Festival and Perlman Music Program on scholarship. Paul has held the principal cello position in the Colburn Conservatory and Chamber Orchestras, the Disney Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, and USC Thornton Symphony. As an orchestral cellist, Paul has accompanied Yo-Yo Ma, Joseph Silverstein, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, and Christopher Parkening. Many of his chamber, solo, and orchestral performances have been broadcast on American, Polish, and online radio stations.
In 2007, Paul made his European and South American solo debuts, performing the Lutoslawki Cello Concerto with the Polish Radio Symphony in Warsaw and the Shostakovich Cello Concerto with the Bahia Symphony Orchestra in Brazil. Paul has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California and an Artist Diploma from the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he studied with Ronald Leonard.
Paul is currently a member of Kronos Quartet.
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