Brett Dean

Brett Dean is an internationally recognized composer, conductor, and viola performer currently serving as Visiting Professor of the Composition and Contemporary Music Department at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Born and educated in Australia, he moved to Germany where he was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic for fourteen years before embarking on his composition career. His music is championed by leading conductors and orchestras worldwide including Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Harding, Andris Nelsons, and Marin Alsop.

Dean's creative output spans orchestral works, chamber music, concertos, and opera, with his second opera "Hamlet" premiering at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 2017 to critical acclaim and winning multiple awards. His works often draw from literary, political, environmental, and visual stimuli, with many compositions inspired by artwork from his wife, Heather Betts.

Dean's compositional style reveals a fertile imagination, originality, and expressive subtlety, characterized by intricate orchestration and thematic depth. His recent compositions continue to explore connections between traditional forms and contemporary expression, as seen in his series of homages to classical composers alongside original works that address modern political and environmental concerns.

• Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition (2009)
• Don Banks Music Award (2016)
• South Bank Sky Arts Awards (2018)
• International Opera Awards (2018)
• Ivor Novello Awards (2022, 2023)

As a performer, Dean maintains an active schedule as both violist and conductor, frequently performing his own works including the Viola Concerto with leading orchestras worldwide. His conducting engagements include roles as Composer in Residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (2019-2023) and at the Wigmore Hall for the 2023/24 season.