CHRIS COMBEST is a dynamic performer and educator, currently serving as Associate Professor of Tuba at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he teaches applied tuba-euphonium, brass chamber music and performs with the MTSU faculty brass quintet. Before joining MTSU, he held faculty positions at the University of Texas-San Antonio, Southern Illinois University, the University of Illinois, and served as Principal Tuba with the Louisville Orchestra. He is a long-time member of the board for the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium-Tuba Festival and has been a Life Member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association since 2014.
 

Dr. Combest is passionate about helping students find their unique voice through music. His teaching philosophy centers on musical storytelling and fostering an inclusive, supportive environment where students can thrive. Many of his students have gone on to win international competitions, build successful careers in higher education, U.S. military bands, and professional orchestras, or pursue advanced degrees at top-tier graduate programs.
 

As a performer, Dr. Combest has earned recognition as a chamber and orchestral musician performing with the Nashville Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and the Dallas Wind Symphony. He has collaborated with renowned artists, including film composer John Williams, the Canadian Brass, and Broadway star Audra McDonald. His diverse recording credits include work for National Public Radio (NPR), the BBC, Sony, and Disney, as well as various film, television, and video game soundtracks.
 

Dr. Combest’s solo recording projects have also garnered international acclaim. His latest album, Mosaic, earned a 3rd Prize Award from the American Prize and a Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement from the Global Music Awards in 2023. He is preparing to release his third solo album, Images, featuring contemporary works for tuba and percussion. A strong advocate for expanding the tuba and euphonium repertoire, Dr. Combest has commissioned over fifty new works from composers such as Maria Corley, Stephen Rush, Alvin Singleton, Barbara York, John Stevens, Rodney Newton, Robert Litton, James Grant, James Stephenson, and Ethan Wickman.
 

Beyond teaching and performing, Dr. Combest is actively involved in the music community. In May 2024, he hosted the Southeast Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference at MTSU and founded the Greater Nashville Euphonium-Tuba Ensemble, which creates opportunities for students in the Nashville area. He has been featured as a clinician and performer at international events, including Brazil’s Euphonios y Tubas Brazil and Spain’s Asociación Española de Tubas y Bombardinos (AETYB). He recently presented at the University of Southern California’s Cochlear Implant Music Hour, a program that helps people adjust to hearing loss through music.
 

Dr. Combest holds degrees from the University of Illinois, the University of Louisville, and Eastern Kentucky University. His teachers include Roger Bobo, Mark Moore, and James Willett. He is a Buffet Group Performing Artist and Clinician for Melton Meinl Weston and B&S instruments.