Vocal Masterclass with Robert Dean
Robert Dean started his musical training as a Junior Exhibitioner at the Royal College of Music‚ studying piano‚ horn‚ composition and conducting (with Sir Adrian Boult). He read music at Durham University‚ where he conducted the University Chamber Orchestra and several operas. He continued his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio as both repetiteur and baritone. He was the assistant and accompanist of the London Choral Society working with Sir Simon Rattle. He also founded and conducted the London based choir Polyphony with whom he appeared on BBC Television and Radio 3.
There followed a highly successful nine year international singing career. He made his conducting debut at the Batignano Festival in the Italian premières of Beethoven’s Leonora and in JC Bach’s Temistocle‚ both directed by Graham Vick. The following year he joined the music staff of Scottish Opera‚ where he was appointed Head of Music in 1990. During the next three years he conducted over 100 performances of both opera and concert with the company. These included new productions of The Magic Flute‚ Don Giovanni‚ Cosi fan tutte‚ The Barber of Seville‚ Cavelleria Rusticana‚ I Pagliacci‚ Jenufa‚ La Traviata‚ Fidelio‚ Madama Butterfly‚ Tosca‚ Eugene Onegin‚ Carmen‚ Die Fledermaus and Iolanthe. During this period he also conducted concerts with Luciano Pavarotti‚ Dennis O’Neill and Jane Eaglan as well as performances of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice and numerous oratorios with the John Currie Singers. Since 1993 Robert Dean’s freelance conducting career has flourished. He made his Canadian debut in 1993 with a new production of The Pearl Fishers in Edmonton‚ since when he has returned to conduct the highly acclaimed new production of La Cenerentola (recorded by CBC) and equally successful readings of Die Fledermaus and Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Elsewhere in North America‚ he has been a frequent visitor to Kentucky Opera‚ where operas conducted include Albert Herring‚ Lucia di Lammermoor and L’Elisir d’Amore. In San Francisco he worked as Master Coach on L’Elisir d’Amore and conducted John Copley’s production of Il Barbière di Siviglia on the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Programme for young singers.
As part of his commitment to introducing opera to new audiences‚ Robert Dean has toured Britain extensively with Pimlico Opera Gianni Schicchi and I Pagliacci and on a major Arts Council sponsored tour of Rigoletto‚ in addition to national tours of The Magic Flute and La Traviata and frequent appearances with Children’s Classic Concerts. For Opera Theatre Company‚ Dublin he conducted a double bill of I Pagliacci‚ Frankies (OTC commission) and the première of Kevin O’Connell’s opera My Love‚ My Umbrella. In Europe‚ he has conducted the Marriage of Figaro‚ The Magic Flute‚ Cosi fan tutte and La Traviata in France‚ La Calisto (in his own performing version) in Italy and recently made his Norwegian debut with Opera Norske conducting Madama Butterfly. Concert work has included performances in Hong Kong and with the Manchester Camerata‚ Royal Philharmonic‚ Scottish Opera Orchestra and the Royal Scottish Orchestra. As Artistic Director of the Philharmonia Chorus he prepared a variety of choral works for‚ amongst others‚ Muti‚ Levine‚ Latham-Koenig‚ Maazel‚ Gatti and Sinopoli and is also much in demand as a voice teacher and coach‚ in which capacity he works regularly at the National Opera Studio and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Recent appearances include La Fille du Régiment‚ Il Barbiere di Siviglia‚ La Bohème and Don Giovanni at Opera Holland Park‚ The Magic Flute and Maria Stuarda in USA‚ Tosca‚ La Cenerentola‚ The Magic Flute‚ Roméo et Juliette‚ The Pearl Fishers‚ Madam Butterfly‚ La Bohème‚ La Traviata and Don Giovanni with Calgary Opera‚ Cosi fan tutte and Iolanthe at Grange Park Opera‚ Il Trovatore for Opera South in Ireland‚ La Bohème at Longborough Festival‚ La Scala di Seta and Il Signor Bruschino with British Youth Opera‚ Pearl Fishers in Edmonton and concerts with the Royal Scottish Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
This season’s and future plans include Lucia di Lammermoor in Calgary and a concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Barbican‚ London.