Biography

Dr. Darren Pettit is the Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He received his bachelor of music degree in saxophone performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1995, where he was awarded the Presser Scholarship and the Dean's Award from the College of Fine Arts.

He then received a full scholarship to the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where he completed a master of music degree in saxophone performance. He then received his D.M.A in Jazz Studies/Composition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied with Dr. Eric Richards. Dr. Pettit’s duties at UNO include directing the Jazz Combo I, coordinating both dual enrollment and music theory for the School of Music, teaching Music Fundamentals, Music Core Curriculum I & II, Jazz Arranging, Orchestration, Pedagogy of Music Theory, and Analysis for Performers.

In 2003 Dr. Pettit co-founded both the Omaha Jazz Workshop and the Metropolitan Area Youth Jazz Orchestra. The Jazz Workshop has since become the UNO Jazz camp featuring the Jim Widner Big Band. Dr. Pettit has premiered original compositions at the Daidogei Festival in Shizouka, Japan, the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Regional Conference, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Mercer University in Georgia, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln & Omaha.

He has toured extensively throughout the United States as the music director for Yesterday and Today and Rave On, and has performed with the Jim Widner Big Band, the Omaha big Band, the Las Vegas Lab Band with Mike Gurcuillo, the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, the Omaha Symphony, the Omaha Community Playhouse, Randy Brecker, Diane Schuur, Debbie Boone, Delbert McClinton, the Temptations, David Foster, Michael Buble, Frankie Valli, and many others.

Dr. Pettit is a D’Addario Artist/Clinician.