Passionate about education alongside his drive to perform, Lopez has maintained a private studio wherever he has traveled. An active advocate for music in the public schools, Mr. Lopez has given clinics, sectionals, and taught ensemble rehearsals with various groups at local elementary, middle, and high schools. Connecting with his audiences, Mr. Lopez is proud of his community engagement efforts, offering chamber music concerts to a wide variety of listeners. His former woodwind quintet, The Desert Island Winds created programs that highlighted the importance of chamber music for all music students and supporters. Bennett is inspired and engaged in performing new works by living composers. During his undergraduate career, he performed over 20 concerts of new music. Primarily fostering younger composer’s passion to write, he also played a role during Composers Inc.’s first ever orchestral debut concert. Premiering new works in Berkeley, Hayward, and Stockton with various ensembles, Mr. Lopez has enjoyed all aspects of new music performance. He has also performed across the world including Carnegie Hall, California Theater, Golden Gate Park, Ljubljana Theater, Slovak Radio Hall, Green Music Center, Faye-Spanos Concert Hall, Community Concert Hall of Durango, CO, Menlo-Atherton Center for Performing Arts, and various churches across California. Bennett Lopez earned a Master’s degree in Oboe Performance at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA under the direction and guidance of Allan Vogel and Joel Timm.