Born in the Netherlands, Paul Gerrits studied violin, guitar, and lute in Sweden and Germany. In 1967 he was invited by Laval University in Québec, Canada to establish a program of study for the classical guitar. He was very probably the first tenured professor for guitar on this continent.

As a performer, he performed and recorded extensively in Canada, the U.S., and Europe with the Laval Guitar Trio. He is a founding member of the GFA and he has hosted the GFA Conventions four times in Canada.

In order to promote guitar ensemble music, he founded Les Editions Doberman-Yppan in 1977. His company has published over 650 books and CDs, including 350 for guitar ensemble and guitar solo. He commissioned the GFA Competition set piece for several years, contributing music by Bogdanovic, Koshkin, Domeniconi, Dyens, and Sergio Assad. Paul Gerrits passed away on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, after years of heart problems.  He will not be forgotten.