Chris Noble is a contemporary composer and jazz arranger based in Sheffield, England. He has written
pieces for performance by such varied artists as Ensemble 360, contemporary pianist Phil Thomas and
percussion duo Passepartout, and has collaborated across the arts with projects involving artists such as
dance company Ffin Dance and metalwork sculptor Gill Brent.
Graduating with a PhD (Sheffield University) in 2009, Chris lists a number of diverse influences upon his
work including jazz pianists Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans, alongside contemporary composers such as
Marc-Anthony Turnage and Richard Rodney Bennett. Compositionally, he is primarily interested in
integrating jazz harmonies into a more contemporary ‘classical’ context.
Chris also arranges for big band and jazz ensembles and in 2017 he received a commission from the
music hubs of South Yorkshire to compose an oratorio, Jazz Journeys, for 600 children to perform at the
Albert Hall in the Music For Youth Prom series. This was a joint collaboration with the internationally
renowned trombonist Dennis Rollins.
Chris runs the Sheffield jazz super-group Straight 8s (a big band comprising former and current members
of Renegade Brass Band, Flok, Bad Brew, Screaming Maldini, Hot Diamond Aces and Dr Fat Lip), as well
as privately tutoring jazz piano.