Bret Pimentel
From College of Fine Arts and Communications
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Overview
Bret Pimentel performs on the five major woodwind families (saxophone, flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon) and a variety of ethnic and folk instruments. His current and recent performing groups include the UGA Wind Ensemble, the UGA Jazz Ensemble, the Georgia Double Reed Ensemble, the UGA Graduate Saxophone Quartet and Countdown to Ecstasy, a Steely Dan tribute band.
Pimentel’s varied career has included performances as a backing musician for Dave Brubeck, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the King's Singers, The O'Jays, Ed Calle, Kelly Eisenhour, and more.
His world premiere credits include seventy times seven by Daniel Bradshaw for woodwind soloist playing flute, oboe, contrabass clarinet, bassoon, alto and baritone saxophones, and pennywhistle, with electronics; and Traptalk by Neil Thornock for alto saxophone and harpsichord.
Pimentel’s teaching experience includes private instruction at Clemson University, Brigham Young University, the Athens School of Music in Georgia, the Crescent School of Music in Utah, Busker's Music in Bakersfield, California, and Smith-Holden Music in Bloomington, Indiana, as well as classroom instruction at the University of Georgia.
In 2008, Pimentel was invited to perform as part of the annual International Double Reed Society Conference.
Education
Pimentel is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in multiple woodwinds performance (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone) at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. He is a graduate teaching assistant with the UGA jazz program and the UGA band department. He holds a Master of Music degree from Indiana University in multiple woodwinds performance with a cognate field in jazz studies and a Bachelor of Music, cum laude, in saxophone performance from Brigham Young University in 2003, where he studied on a National Merit scholarship.
Personal and Family Life
Bret Pimentel lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife, Leslie. They were married in August 2007. Both are doctoral students at the University of Georgia.
Besides his musical pursuits, Bret enjoys reading, computers, and cooking.
From 1998 to 2000, he served as a volunteer missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, assigned to the New York, New York South mission. He worked in neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island.
