Paul Romero

Paul Anthony Romero
Born	1965 United States
Occupation(s)	Composer, classical pianist
Years active	1980s–present
Known for	Video game music, Heroes of Might and Magic series

Paul Anthony Romero is an American composer and classical pianist specializing in computer and video game music, acclaimed for his award-winning contributions.

Early life and classical piano

Romero began teaching himself piano at the age of three, with formal lessons commencing when he was nine years old. His public debut occurred at 11, performing a piano concerto by Mozart alongside the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra. At 13, he wrote his first original piano concerto, which was premiered by the United States National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich at the Kennedy Center. This performance was followed by a televised encore at the United Nations General Assembly Hall. These notable appearances attracted global attention and were recorded by Yamaha; the resulting CD remains available in Japan.

By age 15, Romero composed and performed a Piano Concerto in C major featuring piano, Electone, and timpani at the 9th Yamaha International Junior Original Concert held in Japan (1980). He also represented the United States at the 10th Yamaha International Junior Original Concert in 1981 with his solo piano work "3 Preludes."

At 16, he earned a full scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied composition under Pulitzer Prize recipient Ned Rorem and piano with Vladimir Sokoloff and Jorge Bolet. His education continued at prestigious institutions including the Conservatoire de Paris and London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

In 2002, Romero secured victory at the esteemed International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Paris. His international performances span cities such as Tokyo, London, Paris, New York, Poznań, Washington, D.C., and prominent venues like Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Carnegie Hall (New York), the Mexican Embassy (Washington, D.C.), the Palace of the France-Ameriques Institute (Paris), Gemäldegalerie (Berlin), and Berliner Philharmonie. His most recent album, "An American In Paris", includes a live rendition of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue recorded in Paris.

Beyond his classical career, Romero collaborates with Rob King and Steve Baca composing music for video games, notably the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise and other projects. He has received numerous accolades from international piano competitions, including awards from events in Paris and the Van Cliburn amateur contests.

Films and game music

Romero has crafted more than 70 original soundtrack scores for films and computer games, with a particular focus on orchestral, operatic, and choral compositions for New World Computing/Ubisoft’s Heroes of Might and Magic series. The acclaim for these works inspired him to compose his inaugural symphony, Symphony No. 1 "Heroes", completed in 2008 and based on themes from the game.

His musical contributions also extend to Sony Online Entertainment’s fantasy MMORPG EverQuest, covering expansions from Planes of Power through Dragons of Norrath. Among his honors are the Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) Jerry Goldsmith Film Composers Award as well as two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Two soundtracks from the Heroes of Might and Magic series have been recognized by GameSpot Magazine as part of their all-time top ten computer game scores. In January 2008, Ubisoft released a comprehensive CD soundtrack collection encompassing the entire Heroes series.

Romero is slated to be featured in the Sundance Channel documentary The Gift, which highlights classical musicians who were once child prodigies.

Personal life

In 1989, Romero appeared alongside his family on an episode of Family Feud, where he demonstrated his musical skill by performing Mozart's Turkish March.

He currently lives in Sherman Oaks, California, with his longtime partner, Brock Summers, who is both a physician and a saxophonist.