An oboist, composer, and Two-Spirit Indigenous beadwork artist, Dylan Pinette is originally from Ste. Rose du Lac, a Métis community in northern Manitoba. Largely self-taught before gaining access to specialized oboe instruction, they have pursued a clear goal since childhood: to increase the visibility of Indigenous artists within the Canadian classical music scene.

After leaving Manitoba to settle in Ottawa in 2022, and then in Montréal in 2024 to pursue graduate studies, Dylan completed a master’s degree in oboe performance at McGill University. They now lead an active career as a performer with several ensembles, and are currently principal oboe of the Timmins Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Festival Classica. They have also performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique des Mélomanes, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and many other ensembles across Quebec and Ontario. In the course of their emerging career, they have had the opportunity to perform alongside the iconic Quebec band Harmonium in productions blending popular and orchestral music.

As a composer, Dylan is particularly drawn to non-Western musical practices, oral transmission, and the connections between sound, memory, and land. Their musical language draws notably on African hocket techniques for wind instruments, Indigenous drumming traditions, and elements of Japanese court music. Guided by melody, breath, and the exploration of ancient sonic textures, their work favours a deeply human and narrative approach to creation.

Their works have been commissioned, performed, and recorded across Canada, from Quebec to Saskatchewan to British Columbia. Through their work as a performer and composer, Dylan seeks to create spaces for listening, dialogue, and representation, while helping to open the way for a new generation of Indigenous artists in the Canadian classical music scene.