Dean Franke

Violinist Dean Franke has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Indianapolis since 1997. On campus, Mr. Franke has participated in many recitals, including a cycle of the complete Mozart Sonatas with colleague Richard Ratliff on fortepiano. Since 1990, Mr. Franke has served as an Assistant Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Before that he has served as Assistant Concertmaster of the Oakland Symphony. He made his debut soloing with the Toronto Symphony in 1974. He has performed numerous times for CBC Radio and won the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Talent Search in 1983 playing one of his own compositions. In 2002, he appeared as soloist with the Indianapolis Philharmonic with conductor Orcenith Smith. He studied at Indiana University, the Juilliard School, Yale at Norfolk, Banff School of Fine Arts, and at Tanglewood where he was a fellow three times. His instructors include Albert Pratz, Franco Gulli, Stanley Ritchie, Stanley Kowalski, Gilbert Kalish, Joseph Silverstein, Felix Galimir, and members of the Juilliard Quartet and the Tokyo Quartet. With his wife and colleague, violist Susan Chan, he was cofounder of Accord Chamber Music Society in San Francisco, California and of the New Century String Quartet in residence at the University of Indianapolis. He has also been a guest with Ronen Chamber Ensemble, Scott Chamber Players, Indiana University's Faculty Recital Series (Bloomington), Composers Inc. (San Francisco) and Princeton University New Music Series (NJ).