Woodwind artist Bret Pimentel (he/him, “Pimentel” rhymes with “show and tell”) 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 variety of folk, historical, and world woodwinds, as well as the Akai Electronic Wind Instrument and electronically-enhanced standard woodwinds.
Bret is Professor of Music at Delta State University, where he teaches applied oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone, as well as chamber music, woodwind methods, and jazz courses. He has also taught courses at the University of Georgia, Mississippi State University, and Clemson University. In 2014 he received a Humanities Teacher Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Bret is the author of Woodwind Basics: Core concepts for playing and teaching flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone, and a popular blog for woodwind players and educators. He is also the creator of popular web tools and resources such as the Woodwind Doubling in Musicals list, the Fingering Diagram Builder, and the Random Note Picker.
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, historical, and world 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.