Dr. Chris Beyt

Biography

Dr. Chris Beyt is a jazz guitarist, bassist, composer, recording engineer, and educator living in Asheville, NC. As a Louisiana native, Dr. Beyt received his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Studies at Loyola University in New Orleans. During that time and for two years afterwards, he performed in New Orleans at various venues on both guitar and electric bass. In 2005, he moved to Denton, TX where he studied guitar and began his studies on upright bass, on which he has since been performing in addition to guitar. Dr. Beyt earned his Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas in 2008. Immediately following, he moved to Champaign, IL where he earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Beyt completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts with his thesis, "Compositional Structure and Characteristic Ideas in the Improvisations of Jim Hall."<br> <br>Dr. Beyt is primarily a jazz musician but has performed many styles in venues such as the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Tipitina’s, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He has performed with distinguished artists such as Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, Bob Shappard, Jim Pugh, and the Mobile Symphony Orchestra. In addition to jazz performance, Dr. Beyt is a recording, mixing and mastering engineer, and composes electronic music.<br><br>Dr. Beyt’s most recent album “A Trio for Three” is available on the Ears&Eyes record label.

Education

• DMA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Jazz Performance
• MA, University of North Texas, Jazz Performance
• BA, Loyola University New Orleans, Jazz Studies

Research Interests

- Modern Jazz Guitar<br>- Electronic Composition<br>- Audio Engineering