Dr Chris Best

Senior Lecturer

Dr Christopher Best has been senior lecturer and principal tutor in music composition at Falmouth University since 2010, having formerly been reader in music composition at Dartington College of Arts in Devon. He specialises in acoustic composition, both for dance and the concert hall. His research interests include collaborative creative practices and music in a multi-media context. Major works have been commissioned by Scottish Dance Theatre, Bimba Dance Theatre, Jamaican National Dance, Emilyn Claid and Co and SAM (formerly the SPNM).

Works have been especially written for ensembles including Aquarius, Jane’s Minstrels, Kokoro, the choir of Selwyn College Cambridge and Onyx Brass, plus a host of distinguished soloists including cellist Rohan de Saram (ex Arditti String Quartet) and accordionist Milos Milivojević. His compositions have received considerable critical acclaim and been performed and broadcast internationally. Recent output includes; Scending for flutes and accordion (broadcast on Serbian state radio 2018), Emergencefor electric guitar (premiered by the composer at the Somextro Symposium Falmouth 2016), Fragilities for bass/alto flute and cello (commissioned by William Sleath with a grant from Britten Pears Foundation), Terra al Solfor voices, string trio and accordion (commissioned by the Fisarchi Ensemble of Florence), How Great, How Fall’n (commissioned by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra) and Echoes of a Lost Musicfor electric guitar (UK tour 2011-12, New Zealand tour 2009). Additional international teaching work includes co-directing residential music and dance exchanges at London’s South Bank, in Devon and Madrid, and workshops in Spain, Malta, Sweden and Denmark. In his spare time Dr Best is a keen amateur novelist and short story writer, published by Smashwords.

External Links

Contact details

Telephone 01326 255902
Email chris.best@falmouth.ac.uk
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    Qualifications

    Qualifications

    Year Qualification Awarding body
    1988 AMusD Nottingham University
    1984 MPhil Cambridge University
    1983 BMus Lancaster University

    Honors and awards

    Year Description
    2015

    Awarded commission funding from the Britten Pears Foundation.
    2013

    Awarded commission funding from the Britten Pears Foundation.
    2012

    Finalist in Taukay Edizioni Musicali 9th Edition International Composition Competition Città di Udine.

    Research Interests

    Research interests and expertise

      Acoustic composition, both for dance and the concert hall; collaborative creative practices and music in a multi-media context.

    Research Outputs

    Publications and research outputs

    • Best, Chris

      (2016), Mobius, Smashwords, online, ISBN: 9781310910944

    • Best, Chris

      (2016), Scending, (Unpublished)

    • Best, Chris

      (2013), Fragilities, (Unpublished)

    Events

    2018

    ‘They Fall, They Dance’ (2018) for flute (doubling piccolo) and string quartet. Entry to Taukay Edizioni Musicali 15th Edition International Composition Competition Città di Udine 2018.

    Events

    2016

    ‘Emergence’ (2016) for electric guitar/2 delay pedals; premiered October 2016 at the Somextro Symposium, Falmouth University (composer as soloist).

    Events

    2015

    ‘Scending’ (2015) for flute (with doublings) and accordion; commissioned by Britten-Pears Foundation. Premiered and recorded April 2017.

    Events

    2013

    ‘Fragilities’ (2013) for flute (with doublings) and cello; commissioned by Britten-Pears Foundation. Premiered November 2014; recorded February 2015.

    Events

    2013

    ‘Echoes of a Lost Music’ (2009, revised 2013) for electric guitar/delay pedal; premiered in Tauranga, New Zealand August 2009. Toured UK 2011-2013 (composer as soloist).

    Events

    2010

    ‘How Great How Fall’n’ (2010) for orchestra; premiered by Malta Symphony Orchestra, Teatru Manuel, Valletta, Malta, December 2011, conductor: Brian Schembri.

    Research Students

    Current research students

    Gareth Churcher
    Composing for Online Ensembles

    Previous student supervision

    Mariella Cassar (Falmouth)

    Number of research students supervised to completion

    1

    Research degrees examined

    I have examined the following PhD students:
    1 student at Falmouth University
    1 student at Edinburgh University
    3 students at Dartington College of Arts

    I have examined the following MPhil students
    3 students at Malta University

    Number of research degree examinations

    7

    Teaching

    Areas of teaching

    • Music composition; music history; music theory; music analysis; dissertation; music for film.

    Courses taught

    • BA(Hons) Music
    • BA(Hons) Popular Music
    • BA(Hons) Creative Music Technology