Joseph Michael Pignato, Professor at the State University of New York, Oneonta, is a composer, musician, and music education scholar.

He leads Bright Dog Red, an improvising quintet, that fuses free improvisation, electronica, jazz, hip hop, psychedelia, and noise music.

As a composer, Pignato writes for improvising ensembles. His scores blend traditional notation and graphic symbols with the intent of eliciting idiosyncratic interpretations of his work.

Recent pieces exploit distributed computing and web-based communications  to link performers working in disparate locations.

Pignato enjoys relationships with the following instrument makers: