International ambassador for piano music, Paul Pollei, native of Salt Lake City, continues his energetic efforts as Founder-Director of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation that sponsors festivals and international competitions. The original festival-competition, organized in 1976, was his brainchild and because of his vision, work, specialized knowledge of competitions, and musical contacts throughout the world, the Bachauer Competition continues to enliven a love of music in Utah and people everywhere.
Paul Pollei having been trained in Salt Lake City, the University of Utah, Eastman School of Music and Florida State University under the tutelage of Gladys Gladstone, Karl Ulrich Schnabel and Edward Kilenyi, began his teaching career at age 15 and recently retired from Brigham Young University following 40 years of teaching, where he was coordinator of Graduate Keyboard Studies and a member of the piano faculty. In addition, he served as founding music faculty member and then became advisor for the music faculty of the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah. He served as faculty member of the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in St. George, Utah.
Dr. Pollei has been a jury member for many national and international competitions throughout the world and has served as a member of juries in more than 40 countries and in all states of the United States. He is a founding member of the American Piano Quartet, devoted to research, performance, and re-publication of music for two pianos/eight hands. The quartet, celebrating their 23rd year anniversary, has performed in concert worldwide and continues an active research, performing and recording career.
Dr. Pollei is the devoted teacher to many prizewinning students and is a frequent lecturer for teacher workshops and masterclasses in America and throughout the world. He served as a board member of the National Piano Foundation for five years, where his assignment was chairman of National Master Classes, providing the gift of training to teachers throughout the United States by provisions from the foundation. He often writes about the issues of piano pedagogy and piano training for national and international professional journals. He is the author of PEDAGOGICAL TIPS FOR PIANO TEACHING and ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUE FOR THE PIANIST: AN ORGANIZED AND SYSTEMATIC METHOD OF TEACHING PIANO TECHNIQUE.
In addition to his administrative work with the Bachauer Foundation, Dr. Pollei is very active in the work of the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy, the Music Teachers National Association, and the World Federation of International Music Competitions.
