"He is a real musician, and has a natural talent for conducting, which is obvious in everything he does"
- Herbert Blomstedt
Conductor Laureate - San Francisco Symphony
Honorary Conductor - Leipzig Gewandhausorchestra
Dean Anderson is frequently engaged as a guest conductor with professional orchestras around the globe. Most recently, he conducted Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Pisa, Italy and previously orchestras such as the Orquesta del Festival Gaudix Clásica in Spain, and the Orchestra Filarmonica Campana in Cervinara, Italy. He has been the Music Director and Artistic Director for the Dana Point Symphony for almost a decade. He continually strives to champion a diverse blend of repertoire - ranging from the beloved works of Beethoven and Brahms, to newly commissioned works by local and international composers. His international engagements include concerts with professional orchestras in Europe, Asia, and South America. He has served as cover conductor for the San Diego Symphony and has performed with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In addition, he has worked with such artists as Cho-Liang Lin, Andres Cardenes, Yizhak Schotten, Smokey Robinson, David Archuleta, Manhattan Transfer, John Tesh, Lincoln Mayorga, Arlo Guthrie, and Dick Dale.
A versatile and collaborative conductor, Mr. Anderson’s performances include major ballet works such as the Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, and La Cigale with ballet companies such as the Anaheim Ballet, Nouveau Chamber Ballet, and the Montage Dance Theater. He has also conducted numerous operas such as The Magic Flute, Il Segreto di Susanna (Wolf-Ferrari), Hansel and Gretel, I Due Figaro (Mercadante), Daron Hagen’s Little Nemo in Slumberland and more. One of the highlights of his career was his Walt Disney Hall debut performance of Marcos Galvany’s O My Son. He was the first American citizen to conduct the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Orchestra in Vietnam. He also led the Southern California Chamber Ensemble performance of traditional chinese and japanese music for pipa and erhu with Tu Shan Xiang and George Gao in Nagoya, Japan.
Education and Community Outreach
In addition to his professional engagements. Mr. Anderson enjoys working with students and community members to help them strive for higher levels of artistic excellence. He constantly bridges the gap between professional organizations and educational institutions. He serves as part of an international jury for the Hong Kong International Music Festival and is often invited as guest clinician with local school districts, including those in Riverside, Santa Ana, and Irvine. He has initiated collaborative events between his orchestral ensembles and local schools and churches in order to help fund their special programs. Mr. Anderson is also the Artistic Director for Symphony Irvine and the Director of Orchestral Studies at La Sierra University. He completed five seasons as the Music Director for the Montecito International Music Festival Orchestra, where he has performed with world-renowned artists and with gifted student musicians from all over the globe. He recently completed a residency as conductor for the Fulton Music Society Summer Music Academy in Chicago, IL.
Educational Background
Mr. Anderson completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UCLA under the mentorship of Neal Stulberg. He studied conducting with Edward Dolbashian and violin with John McLeod at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Additionally, he has participated in conducting workshops with Gustav Meier, Mark Gibson, Marin Alsop, Mihail Agafita, Don Thulean, and Lawrence Golan.