Musical diversity in a varied and stimulating creative environment has been key to Paul's development as a performer, teacher and writer.

He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London with William Overton and James Watson. On graduating he was appointed Co-Principal Trumpet in the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden working with great conductors such as Carlos Kleiber, Sir Colin Davis and Sir Georg Solti. In 1980 he relinquished this position to concentrate on work with his group, the English Brass Ensemble and to perform as a member of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the London Sinfonietta.

Throughout the 1980's Paul travelled extensively with these chamber groups, performing at many musical centres throughout the world. His enthusiasm for contemporary music was reflected in the work of the English Brass Ensemble whose focus was the performing contemporary brass repertoire. The ensemble commissioned and premiered many new works and worked with leading comosers such as Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Gunthur Schuller, Witold Lutoslawki and Elliott Carter.

In 1984 Paul was a prize winner at the Toulon Prix de Concours, a major international trumpet competition which laid the foundations of his career as a soloist. He has since performed the solo repertoire with many of Britains finest orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, London Mozart Players, Britten Sinfonia and the Orchestra of St John's.

In 1995 he was was appointed Principal Trumpet of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and during this period he had the opportunity to perform many of the great orchestral works. Paul is now actively involved in almost every aspect of musical performance: chamber music with the English Brass Ensemble and the Fibonacci Sequence: orchestral music as a member of OSJ, Britten Sinfonia and the London Mozart Players: commercial music, having performed on many film soundtracks and with icons of popular culture such as Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Bob Geldoff: solo repertoire, performing in recitals with pianist Kathron Sturrock and the virtuoso percussionst Simon Limbrick: education projects with Ben Hoffnung and Scott Bywater: teaching, as a Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Bath Spa University College. Paul is also compiling two new series of brass music for Brass Wind Publications: the English Brass Collection consists of new works for brass ensemble and the Paul Archibald Collection consists of new additions for the solo repertoire.

His discography includes the Trumpet Concertos by Haydn and Hummel, Carnival of Venice arranged by Malcolm Smith and Handel's Concerto Grosso No 10, all recorded for Readers Digest with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Gerhardt. Jeremiah Clarke's Trumpet Suite in D is recorded with the Brandenburg Sinfonia and Paul also features as a soloist on Clarence Adoo's World of Brass, a fund-raising CD on behalf of the Clarence Adoo Fund. In 2003 Paul was given the honorary award of Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.