He studied composition at Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, under the tuition of contemporary artist, Andrew Poppy. He tries to incorporate various passions of music into his brand of classical form. Chris’ main influence is American minimalism and early American avant garde. His favorite composers are Max Richter, John Cage, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Andrew Poppy and David Lang. Many of Acquavella’s compositions have an element of minimalism to them. However, Chris is not purely a minimalist composer. He is also influenced by Eastern European folk music, American folk music, and popular music styles such as Rockabilly, Hardcore and Progressive Rock.