Paul Voia-Tipei

Paul Voia-Tipei was born in Arad, Romania, in 1987. He attended The School of Music "Sabin Dragoi" under the instruction of Professor Ana Raita. While in Romania, some of his most notable achievements include prizes in the Pro Piano International Competition in Bucharest and the Carl Filtsch International Piano Competition in Sibiu. In 2005, Paul and his family emigrated from Romania and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After a brief period in the United States, Paul won 1st place in the Concerto Division of the Arizona Piano-Schimmel Young Artist Competition. In 2013, he performed Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the Arizona State University Symphony.

Paul has performed in many countries, including Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Romania, and the United States. He has also performed as a soloist several times with orchestras, including the Symphony of the Southwest, Arizona State University Symphony, and the Orchestra in Residence in Italy at the 2011 Music Fest Perugia. Paul has graced important concert halls such as the Mesa Arts Center, Scottsdale Arts Center, Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, ASU Kerr Cultural Center, Katzin Concert Hall, Alfred Newman Recital Hall, Simon Ramo Recital Hall, Steinway Piano Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, and Steinway Piano Gallery in Seattle, WA.

Although rooted in classical music, Paul possesses a vast understanding of music and remarkable versatility at the piano. This versatility is derived from his involvement with music from different cultures and schools of pianism. It has led to his engagement in a wide array of projects, ranging from playing with local pit orchestras for musical theater productions to participating in electronic music projects, giving jazz performances, recording, playing as a soloist with orchestras, and working with and premiering works by contemporary composers. These diverse musical engagements have influenced his thinking, sense of inner listening, and overall musical understanding. As much as he enjoys performing, Paul's goal is to share his passion for music through teaching. He firmly believes that a great piano teacher should be familiar with both the concert stage and the teaching profession, considering them intertwined.

Paul earned his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Arizona State University. He also completed a Graduate Certificate, a Master of Music Degree, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Performance at USC Thornton School of Music under the guidance of world-renowned pianist and professor Daniel Pollack. Paul received the most prestigious award for a graduate degree, a teaching assistantship, and has been teaching group piano classes and offering private lessons since 2017, serving the university at large. He also served as a studio teaching assistant to Professor Daniel Pollack, conducting regular masterclasses for the studio.

Currently, Paul holds the position of Adjunct Professor at The Master's University Paul T. Plew School of Music, where he teaches group piano classes and provides individual instruction. Beyond that he works with over 50 piano students ranging in age from 5 to 78 years old each week both privately and at Musikbox, a boutique private music studio.