Bret Pimentel Bio


Bret Pimentel


Woodwind artist Bret Pimentel 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 variety of folk, historical, and world woodwinds, as well as the Akai Electronic Wind Instrument.

Bret is an Associate 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 applied woodwind lessons at Clemson University and Brigham Young University, and woodwind methods courses at the University of Georgia. In 2014 he received a Humanities Teacher Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council. He is the author of Woodwind Basics: Core concepts for playing and teaching flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone.

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.