Award-winning Conductor Dean Buck has been described by Cleveland Classical as “fearless and firm,” and “precise and confident.” In September 2023, Dean was awarded Second Prize (First Prize was not awarded) at the 2nd International Italian Conducting Competition - Alceo Galliera in Bordighera, Italy. 

Dean serves as opera conductor at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. In 2021, he was co-music director for Operas [In Place]: a series of virtual operas that won Opera America’s Award for Digital Excellence in Opera. For this, Buck collaborated with composers Jake Heggie, Nkeiru Okoye, Josh Schmidt, and Griffin Candey, as well as librettists Gene Scheer, Royce Vavrek, David Cote, and Caroline McGraw to premiere works specifically written for virtual performance. He also was Music Director for Nkeiru Okoye’s We’ve Got Our Eye On You which won First Prize at the 2023 National Opera Association Competition. He additionally is the Interim Director of Orchestras at The University of Akron, and Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master of Cleveland Opera Theater, where he is also Music Director of [NOW]Fest, an annual festival of New Opera Works. 

Dean previously served as Principal Conductor of the New York City based LoftOpera where he conducted eight productions including their critically acclaimed stagings of Puccini’s La Bohème, Mozart’s Così fan Tutte, and Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. His work with LoftOpera was praised by the New York Observer as “maintaining a constant, flexible rapport with singers,” and “supporting the voices smoothly.” The New York Times called his conducting “tender and gentle,” as well as “agile and well balanced.”  He additionally was Assistant Conductor for Chelsea Opera. 

Since relocating to Cleveland, Dean has cemented himself in the orchestral scene. He is a frequent Guest Conductor of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and The Firelands Symphony Orchestra. He regularly appears with the Heights Chamber Orchestra and Suburban Symphony Orchestra, and has worked extensively with the Blue Streak Ensemble, a contemporary chamber group founded by renowned composer Margaret Brouwer. A strong advocate for New Music, Dean has led over 30 premieres of new works. 

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dean holds a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting from The Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Carl Topilow. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from The New School. Dean has participated in Master Classes with Robert Spano, JoAnn Faletta, Stephan Sanderling, Thomas Wilkins, and Brett Mitchell.