Chris Vine studied fine art in Britain and the USA, working as a painter and performance artist. He began playing improvised music in his teens as part of the UK “free jazz” movement and was associated with the “downtown” music scenes of New York and Washington D.C. in the 1980’s, working with composers such as multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp and drummer Bobby Previte. The Heat Poets were formed in partnership with the Anglo-Welsh poet Chris Torrance in 1985. Chris was guitarist with Ted Milton’s cult punk jazz group Blurt during the 1990’s, touring Europe extensively, and has also been engaged as composer and performer with dance theatre groups such as Earthfall (Wales) and Verve (Brazil). With mezzo soprano Phillipa Reeves and composer Simon Thorne, Chris formed the Canton Opera Company in 1998, which collaged Baroque arias with abstract soundscapes, both composed and improvised.

He currently divides his time between Brazil and Wales, working as composer/performer with Verve Companhia de Dança and as sound designer for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru – the National Welsh Theatre.

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