Sally Dean was 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.

She subsequently continued her studies in London at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where she completed a postgraduate diploma in Oboe, as well as a teaching diploma in this instrument. At this school, she had Douglas Boyd and Melinda Maxwell as teachers. After completing her studies in London, she moved to Karslruhe, Germany, to study at the Musikhochschule with the famous musician and pedagogue Thomas Indermühle, graduating with high distinction with the Diplom Künstlerische Ausbildung. She has been distinguished in several international competitions, including the Janet Craxton Prize for the best Oboe student at the Royal Academy of Music (2001), 1st prize at the Lauschmann International Oboe Competition in Mannheim (2003). That same year, he was a finalist in the prestigious International Competition for Wind Instruments in Bayreuth, Germany.

Sally has dedicated herself 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 first oboist with various orchestras including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Kürpfalsiches Kammerorchester Mannheim and English National Ballet Orchestra.

In 2004 Sally Dean joined the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa where she holds the position of Soloist A and section leader, as well as teaching Oboe at the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra.