Roger Dean (musician)

Roger Thornton Dean (born 6 September 1948, Manchester UK) is a British-Australian musician, academic, biochemist and cognitive scientist. He is married to poet, writer, musician and academic Hazel Anne Smith, and was educated in the UK at the Crypt School, Gloucester, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Formerly, he was the foundation Director of the Heart Research Instititute, Sydney (1988-2002), and then the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra (2002-2007). From 2007 onwards he is a research professor of sonic communication at the MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University.

Dean is a composer, improviser (piano, computers) and performer. He studied the piano, and double bass with Eugene Cruft and was Principal Bass in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. As bassist, he performed solo at Wigmore Hall in London at age 15. Dean has worked with ensembles including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Berliner Band, London Sinfonietta, Music Projects/London, Spectrum and many other contemporary music ensembles in London prior his departure to Australia in 1988. In Australia, Dean has played with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Alpha Ensemble. He has premiered and recorded works for solo double bass and many have been written for him.

As keyboardist, Dean has been an accompanist for trumpeter John Wallace and violinist Hazel Smith, and performed around the world in Smith's ensemble Sonant. He has also accompanied and performed with Marion Montgomery (vocalist) and Sue Tomes (piano) and her former ensemble Domus. As jazz keyboards player, Dean worked with Graham Collier Music, a leading European jazz group.

In Australia, Dean has played keyboards with the Sydney Alpha Ensemble, Watt, and the British tenor Gerald English. He has been active within the What is Music? festivals, playing piano and computers. He has also played vibraphone with Collier, and recorded on the instrument on the album Lysis Plus.

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