Photo, Bob Brussack

Woodwind artist Bret Pimentel is an emerging talent who is comfortable in a wide variety of musical settings. He is at home with the classical solo repertoire of the saxophone, flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, as well as chamber and symphonic music, jazz, and rock and pop. In addition to the major modern woodwinds, he is skilled at a number of folk, ethnic, and period woodwinds, and the Akai Electronic Wind Instrument.

Bret’s varied career has included performances with Dave Brubeck, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the King’s Singers, the O’Jays, Brooklyn Rider, Bruce Levingston, Guy Hovis, Ed Calle, Mimi Fox, Kimball Gallagher, Tricia Walker, Kelly Eisenhour, and more. His regular performing groups have included the Xenos Quartet, Countdown to Ecstasy, the Delta Symphony, and the Georgia Double Reed Ensemble.

Bret currently teaches applied oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone at Delta State University, as well as chamber music, woodwind methods, and jazz courses. He has also taught applied woodwind lessons at Clemson University and Brigham Young University, and woodwind methods courses at the University of Georgia.

In 2009, Bret received the degree Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia, with an emphasis in multiple woodwinds performance. His dissertation research dealt with the use of folk, ethnic, and period woodwinds in film and theater music. His master’s degree, also in multiple woodwinds performance, is from Indiana University, and his bachelor’s degree, in saxophone performance, is from Brigham Young University.