Paul C. Pollei (1936-2013) was the Founder and Artistic Director of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation in Salt Lake City, Utah. Paul C. Pollei was born on May 9, 1936 to Eric Charles Pollei and Emily Cannon Pollei. He married Norene Barrus on June 24, 1960 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He attended Eastman School of Music and received his Ph.D. at Florida State University. He was a member of the piano faculty at Brigham Young University, where he taught for over 40 years as a Professor of Graduate Keyboard Studies.

Pollei was a founder and member of the American Piano Quartet. The Quartet is devoted to research, performance and re-publication of music for two pianos/eight hands. Pollei gave recitals and lectures, and taught many prize-winning students. Dr. Pollei has served as a board member of the National Piano Foundation where he was chairman of National Master Classes. He often wrote about the issues of piano pedagogy and piano training for national and international professional journals and was 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. In addition, he served as founding music faculty member and then became advisor for the music faculty at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah, and has served on the advisory boards of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the United Nations International Education Board.

Pollei died on July 18, 2013 after a long illness.