Brett Dean

• Following studies in Australia, Brett Dean travelled to Germany in 1985 and became a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as viola player
• In addition to orchestral career gave performances as soloist including numerous first performances
• In 1988 began composing, initially as an arranger
• Worked in improvisation for radio and film projects in Australia
• Became established as a composer in his own right through worldwide performances of the ballet One of a Kind (Nederlands Dans Theater, choreographer Jiri Kylian) and by the clarinet concerto Ariel’s Music, which won an award from the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers
• Paintings from his partner Heather Betts have initiated numerous compositions
• Since 2000 has lived in Australia, Berlin and UK as freelance composer
• Leading interpreters of Dean’s music include Sir Simon Rattle, Markus Stenz, Simone Young, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Daniel Harding and Vladimir Jurowski

Works by Brett Dean include:
Carlo (1997) for strings and sampler
Beggars and Angels (1999) for large orchestra
The Lost Art of Letter Writing (2006) for violin and orchestra
Hamlet (2013–16) Opera in two acts

Looking Ahead: world premiere of new work for soprano and ensemble with Scharoun Ensemble Berlin (Sep 2023); ongoing cycle of 'piano homages' with Hommage à Liszt for Benjamin Grosvenor (WP Jan 2024)

"...a voice of fertile imagination, originality and expressive subtlety." — Chicago Tribune