Michi Wiancko

“With my solo violin album, Planetary Candidate, I set out to celebrate my four-decade relationship with the instrument by writing myself a piece that studies the core and complexity of that relationship, and by commissioning some of my favorite composers to write for either acoustic or electro-acoustic 4- or 5-string violin. The project took shape slowly over several years, as I birthed and raised my two children, and while I was contemplating and exploring the multitude of musical worlds that make up who I am as an artist. I could not have fully predicted how intimately and deeply these pieces would eventually speak to me, nor could I have predicted the serious challenges that awaited all artists trying to make work during a global pandemic.

At the same time, though that work happened largely in isolation, the very nature of releasing a recording allows for community, connection, and audience interaction, so in the end I feel lucky that the timing worked out as it did. I have nothing but profound gratitude for the personal guidance, next-level support, and shared artistic vision that New Amsterdam Records provided me with throughout this entire process.” — Michi Wiancko