Brian Dean

Brian Dean serves as Professor of Violin, Baroque Violin, and Historical Performance Practice at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts' School of Music within the Institute for Classical and Church Music since 2003. He concurrently holds concertmaster positions with the Anima Eterna Symphony Orchestra in Bruges and membership in the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, while directing the Chamber Academy Basel.

His educational background includes:

• Degree in modern and baroque violin from Oberlin Conservatory of Music
• Thomas J. Watson Foundation prize enabling study in England
• Concert diploma under Sergiu Luca at Rice University

Dean specializes in applying historical performance expertise across violin repertoire from Baroque to modern eras, rejecting period limitations. His methodology integrates period instruments like fortepiano to contextualize Romantic and contemporary works, pioneering a new degree program at Lucerne that synthesizes modern, classical, and baroque techniques. This approach reframes historically informed practice as universally applicable rather than confined to early music.

His sole documented scientific award:

• Thomas J. Watson Foundation prize

As founder and artistic director of the Chamber Academy Basel, Dean mentors elite students from Basel University of Music through unconducted performances rehearsed from the concertmaster desk. His pedagogical influence extends globally via guest lectureships at institutions including Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, University of Rio de Janeiro, and Bavarian Music Academy Marktoberdorf, though no formal PhD/Masters advisees are specified.

Dean maintains active performance leadership through multiple ensembles: concertmaster of Anima Eterna Symphony Orchestra, core member of Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, and director of Chamber Academy Basel—which recently premiered Haydn's 'Lo Speziale' at Theater Basel and performed in Israel. His guest concertmaster roles span Ludwigsburg Castle Festival, Handel Academy Karlsruhe, and Ensemble Academy Freiburg.