Roger Dean

Biography

Roger Dean is an Australian composer/improviser, sound and multimedia artist, and humanities researcher. He has performed in more than 30 countries, as bassist, keyboardist, and lap-top computer artist. His compositions include computer and chamber music, and he has been commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Alpha Ensemble, the Wallace Collection (UK), Chaconne Brass (UK) and others. His works are published by Open University (UK/USA), Red House, La Trobe University, and Sounds Australian, on CD with the International Computer Music Association, and on the web (multimedia works for the Australian Film Commission, Overland Express, and others). His music is also available on more than 30 commercial recordings, including CDs on Audio Research Editions, Discus, Mosaic, Soma, Future Music Records (FMR) (UK); Earshift, Jade, Rufus and Tall Poppies (Australia); and Crayon, and Frog Peak (USA). He is developing computer-interactive networked improvisation, sound and intermedia work. Since 1979 he has published four books on improvisation in music and many articles. With Hazel Smith he wrote “Improvisation, Hypermedia and the Arts Since 1945” (Harwood Academic, 1997). His most recent books have been OUP edited handbooks of Computer Music and Algorithmic Music (paperback 2021). His current research includes work on musical rhythm, timbre, structure and production from cognitive and computational viewpoints. Previously he undertook extensive research in biochemistry, and founded the Heart Research Institute, Sydney. He is also the founder (1970) and director of austraLYSIS, the international sound and intermedia arts group, and of the Sonic Communications Research Group at the University of Canberra in 2004, with ARC funding. Roger has the unusual distinction of being a subject in both the new Grove Dictionary of Music and that of Jazz. He contributed to 43 articles in the latter. He was until early 2002 the foundation director of the Heart Research Institute, Sydney, and he has more than 300 substantive publications in biochemistry. After a term as the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra, he joined the MARCS Instititute at Western Sydney UNiversity in 2007 as a research professor. He has more than 130 substantive publications in music research since then.