Judge : Dean Anderson 

Biography

Dean Anderson has been the Director of Orchestra Studies at La Sierra University since 2013. He is also frequently engaged as a guest conductor with professional orchestras around the globe. Most recently, he conducted Rossini’s Il Barbieri di Siviglia in Pisa, Italy as part of a production by Teatro Goldoni. In addition, he has conducted orchestras such as the  Orquesta del Festival Gaudix Clásica in Spain, and the Orchestra Filarmonica Campana in Italy. He has been the Music Director and Artistic Director for the Dana Point Symphony and Symphony Irvine for over twelve years. 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 (Italy, Spain), Asia (Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam), and South America (Brazil, Argentina). 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.

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. He recently completed a Visiting Conductor Residency at the Saarlandiches Staatsoper, a professional opera company in Saarbrucken, Germany under the guidance of General Music Director - Sebastian Rouland.