Sally Dean

Born in 1978 in Adelaide, Australia. She studied at the Elder Conservatorium of the University of Adelaide with the famous oboist Jiri Tancibudek, to whom Martinů dedicated his Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra. Later, she continued her studies in London, at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where she completed a postgraduate diploma in Oboe, as well as a teacher’s diploma in this instrument. At this school, Sally had Douglas Boyd and Melinda Maxwell as teachers. After completing her studies in London, she settled in Karslruhe, Germany, to study at the Musikhochschule with the famous musician and educator Thomas Indermühle, completing the Diplom Künstlerische Ausbildung with high distinction.

She has been distinguished in several international competitions, including the Janet Craxton Prize for Best Oboe Student at the Royal Academy of Music (2001), and 1st Prize at the Lauschmann International Oboe Competition in Mannheim (2003). That same year, she was a finalist in the prestigious International Competition for Wind Instruments in Bayreuth, Germany.

Sally Dean has been dedicated to an intense activity as a soloist and in chamber music, having performed in countries such as France, England, Germany, Portugal and Australia, where she performed solo with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. She has been frequently invited to play the place of first oboist in several orchestras, among which the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Porto, the Kürpfalsiches Kammerorchester Mannheim and the English National Ballet Orchestra stand out.

In 2004, Sally Dean joined the Metropolitan Orchestra of Lisbon, where she occupies the place of Soloist A and head of the section, as well as Oboe teacher at the National Academy for Advanced Orchestral Studies.