Christopher Acquavella is a classical mandolinist & educator from San Diego, California. He graduated First Class Honors with a BMus (Hons) degree from Trinity College of Music in London, England. Chris studied under the instruction of Alison Stephens and participated in Master Class with Caterina Lichtenberg. He performs classical repertoire on both modern and baroque mandolins, using period techniques. Currently, Chris performs with guitarist, Nathan Jarrell as Duo LaRe, which released their 2010 debut album, In Other Words, currently available on iTunes & CDBaby.com. Chris has performed with some great musicians such as Avi Avital, Alon Sariel, Jeremy Kurtz, Zura Dzagnidze, Alison Stephens, David Grisman & Mike Marshall. Aside from chamber music, he concertizes as a soloist & orchestral musician with various orchestras throughout Europe and America such as Trinity String Ensemble (UK), Dartington Festival Orchestra (UK), E.G.M.A. (DE), New City Sinfonia (USA), Camarada Chamber Ensemble (USA) and the San Diego Symphony (USA). Chris is currently a member of the Ger Mandolin Ensemble, directed by Mike Marshall.

Chris won the Wolfsan Foundation Music Award in 2004 and was awarded the TCM Trust Silver Medal for String Studies in 2006. He represented Great Britain in the European Guitar and Mandolin Youth Orchestra, which performed several concerts throughout Greece and recorded an album in 2003. His participation was made possible by the generous sponsorships from Plucked Strings Foundation Inc. and the BMG Federation, United Kingdom.

Chris Acquavella has performed at major venues across Europe and America both in a solo and chamber music capacity. Since the early 1990s, Chris has performed as a guitarist/mandolinist and also with many rock bands, playing both electric guitar and bass. He released three albums for Why? Distro, Facedown Records, and Tooth and Nail/Solid State Records. Chris, along with the band Born Blind, toured across the United States; headlining festivals such as Cornerstone Festival and Solid State Festival. From 2000 - 2002, he played mandolin for Celtic/Bluegrass group - Clarsah, who had a residency at Dublin Square Irish Pub in San Diego's famed Gaslamp Quarter District. Until October 2006, Chris performed and recorded with contemporary music ensemble, Izbuha including performances at Blackheath Halls and the Sunrise Music Festival in Glastonbury , England. In 2007, Chris was the Artist in Residence for the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra. He was the composer and founder of contemporary folk ensemble, Dzveli He, which performed until 2009. Chris Acquavella has performed & taught workshops at the CMSA Conventions, and at the 8th Annual Mandolin Symposium (2011). He is also a guitar/mandolin instructor at New Expression School of Music in San Diego and Buffalo Brothers in Carlsbad. Aside from teaching and performing on the mandolin, Chris spends time composing new works for mandolin & mandolin ensembles. Several of his works will soon be published by Haus der Musik Trekel.

Chris performs on mandolins by Brian N. Dean.