A graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium where he received the Medal of Excellence, Dean won the Australian Clarinet Competition, the Mattara National Concerto Competition, the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition in Los Angeles. He often performs together with his brother, the Australian composer Brett Dean. Paul Dean is one of the members of the Southern Cross Soloists, based in Brisbane. As soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, Paul Dean has performed in Norway, England, Japan, the USA and Canada. Between 1987 and 2000 he was Principal Clarinet with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In 2003 Dean was a soloist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and The Queensland Orchestra. He toured nationally with the Australian String Quartet, playing the Brahms Quintet, Op. 115, and toured New Zealand and the US with the Southern Cross Soloists in the same year. In 2004 he was a guest artist at the Sydney Festival and the Australian String Quartet’s Bridgewater Mill Series, toured nationally with the Macquarie Trio and performed over 50 concerts throughout Australia with the Southern Cross Soloists. Described by London’s The Sunday Times as "the excellent Paul Dean", he has toured extensively throughout USA, Asia, Europe and New Zealand. His performance of the FrankelClarinet Quintet, Op. 28, at the 1997 International Clarinetfest in Lubbock, Texas won him a standing ovation. Currently Dean invests his time and artistic expression as the Artistic Director of Southern Cross Soloists, the SunWater & Stanwell Winter Music School and the BangalowMusic Festival, as well as making regular appearances at festivals throughout Australia. In 2007 he was Artistic Director of the Bonyi International Youth Music Festival in Brisbane. In 2011 he will be the Artistic Director for "tutti world youth music Beijing, an international youth music festival dedicated to music education. In 2010, Paul Dean was appointed as Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, succeeding his brother Brett Dean in that post. As a composer, his works include Turmoil, Peace and Celebration for cello and piano.
