Brandon DeanFaculty

Dr. Brandon Dean serves as the Jon and Anita Thomsen Young Distinguished Endowed Chair in Music and Conductor of the Gustavus Choir. In addition to his conducting duties, he teaches beginning and advanced conducting, coordinates the vocal music education program, and serves as music director for Christmas in Christ Chapel. Dr. Dean received the 2014 Swenson-Bunn Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2022 Faculty Service Award, the highest accolade a Gustavus faculty member can receive for distinguished service activities. Before his appointment at Gustavus in 2011, Dr. Dean completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Frequently appearing as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, Dr. Dean recently served on the international panel of adjudicators for the World Choir Games. Recent guest conducting engagements include the National Conducting Symposium with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and the Midwest American Honor Choir. Dr. Dean is a past winner of the Nebraska Choral Director’s Association Graduate Scholarship in Choral Conducting and prepared the University of Nebraska opera chorus for The Bohemian Girl, which won the Best Choral Presentation Award at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera.

Dr. Dean is actively involved in several professional choral organizations. He has served as the Chair of Youth and Student Activities for the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota and has held the same position for the North Central Division of the American Choral Directors Association. He holds professional affiliations with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), and Chorus America.

In addition to the DMA degree in conducting from CCM, Dr. Dean holds the MM degree in choral conducting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the BA degree in vocal music education from Luther College. He has studied with Weston Noble, Tim Peter, Sandra Peter, Peter Eklund, Earl Rivers, Brett Scott, and Elmer Thomas. After receiving the MM degree, he was the Director of Choral Activities at Ankeny High School (Iowa) from 2003-2008.

Courses Taught