Dr. Bret Pimentel

Bret Pimentel (rhymes with “show and tell”) is at home with the classical solo repertoire of the clarinet, saxophone, flute, oboe, 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.

 In addition to teaching part time at Mississippi State, Dr. Pimentel 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. In 2014 he received a Humanities Teacher Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council. Dr. Pimentel 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.

 In 2009 he 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.