Chris Combest

Associate Professor of Tuba

Director of Graduate Studies

Dr. Chris Combest serves as Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies on the music faculty at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) where he pursues a dynamic career as a performer and educator. Before joining the faculty at MTSU, Dr. Combest occupied similar positions at the University of Texas-San Antonio, Southern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois.

Combest has performed with various ensembles across the United States, including the Nashville Opera, the Nashville Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, the Dallas Wind Symphony, and the Louisville Orchestra. His diverse collaborations also extend to work with artists such as film composer John Williams, the Canadian Brass, and Broadway star Audra McDonald. Among his numerous recording credits, he can be heard on broadcasts for National Public Radio, the BBC, Sony, Disney, and recent video game soundtracks for Destiny 2 and Aliens: Fire Team Elite.

Combest has also garnered international recognition as a solo artist for his recording projects. His most recent solo recording: "Mosaic," released in 2022, earned a 3rd Prize Award from the American Prize and a Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement from the Global Music Awards. “Under Tennessee Skies,” released in 2020, was named a finalist for the American Prize and also received a Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement from the Global Music Awards. Both recordings were nominated for the Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording by the International Tuba Euphonium Association.

As an educator and clinician, Combest has presented masterclasses and guest recitals worldwide, most recently at the "Euphonios y Tubas Brazil" in Sao Paulo, Brazil, hosted by the Brazil Tuba Euphonium Association. He has paneled international solo competitions, including the Leonard Falcone Euphonium-Tuba Competition, the Asociación Española de Tubas y Bombardios (AETYB), and competitions for the International Tuba Euphonium Association. His dedication to teaching is reflected in the success of his students, who have forged careers in higher education, U.S. military bands, and professional orchestras in the United States. Earlier this year, he delivered an online presentation at the University of Southern California’s “Cochlear Implant Music Hour," an award-winning music appreciation program aiding individuals adjusting to hearing loss through cochlear implants.

A Life Member of the ITEA and a member of the Board of Directors for the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Tuba Festival, his passion for advancing contemporary musical expressions is evident in his role in commissioning over fifty new works for the tuba and euphonium. Those works include collaborating with composers like Maria Corley, Stephen Rush, Alvin Singleton, Barbara York, John Stevens, Rodney Newton, Robert Litton, James Grant, James Stephenson, and Ethan Wickman.

Dr. Combest holds degrees from the University of Illinois, the University of Louisville, and Eastern Kentucky University. His teachers include Roger Bobo, Mark Moore, John Jones, and Jim Willett.

Chris Combest is a Performing Artist and Clinician for Melton Meinl Weston and B&S instruments.