Praised by Brass Bridge Magazine for his “wonderful sense of musicianship and virtuosic technique,” Dr. Chris Combest serves as Associate Professor of Tuba and Assistant Director at the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) School of Music. He is a Life Member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) and President of the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, one of the world’s premier low brass festivals and competitions.

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Prior to joining MTSU, he held faculty appointments at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Southern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois. A former tubist with the Louisville Orchestra, Nashville Opera, Victoria Symphony, and the Ash Lawn Opera and Wintergreen Festivals, Combest maintains an active career as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. He has also appeared with the Nashville Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony, and Dallas Winds, and has collaborated with artists including the Canadian Brass, Audra McDonald, and film composer John Williams.

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His recording credits include projects for NPR, the BBC, Sony, Disney, and a range of film, television, video game, and commercial work. Over the last twenty years, he has commissioned more than thirty new works for the tuba, including music by composers such as Katahj Copley, Alvin Singleton, Maria Thompson Corley, Rodney Newton, and John Stevens. His solo albums Mosaic (2020) and Under Tennessee Skies (2023) received recognition from The American Prize and the Global Music Awards, along with nominations for the Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording from the ITEA.

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Within ITEA, he has served as Associate Editor of the ITEA Journal and as the longtime Competitions Chair. As an adjudicator and guest artist, he appears regularly at international events including the International Tuba Euphonium Conference (ITEC), the Leonard Falcone Festival, the Spanish Tuba Euphonium Conference (AETYB), and Euphonios y Tubas Brazil. His students have earned top honors in national and international competitions and have pursued careers in professional ensembles, military bands, education, and music industry roles with companies such as Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Group.

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He holds degrees from the University of Illinois, the University of Louisville, and Eastern Kentucky University, and studied with Roger Bobo, Mark Moore, John Jones, and James Willett. Dr. Combest is a Buffet Performing Artist for Melton Meinl Weston instruments.