Paul Poletti studied composition and organ at California State University, Northridge. In 1978 he began building harpsichords, later concentrating exclusively on the reproduction and restoration of Viennese fortepianos from the Classical era. His interest in historical tuning and temperaments began while still studying at university, and while in California, he provided professional tuning services for harpsichord and fortepiano in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. After moving to Holland in 1992, he continued both activities, tuning regularly for a large number of major European players and ensembles in venues around the Netherlands, including Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. He was the resident tuner of harpsichord and portative organ for the Netherlands Bach Society until 2005, when he relocated in Barcelona, where he now teaches acoustics and organology for the department of Sonology and historical temperaments and tuning for the department of Early Music at the Escola Superior de la Música de Catalunya. His broad range of professional experience combined with a life-long interest in combining modern technology  with a fundamental grounding in historical literature has given him a unique understanding of the topic of historical intonation and temperaments.