Dean Williamson, Artistic Director of Opera Cleveland, is widely known throughout the United States for his perceptive and commanding conducting in repertoire such as Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Turn of the Screw, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Cosi Fan Tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Pasquale, Carmen, Don Giovanni, La Cenerentola, and La Bohème, among others. His ambitious and versatile career in standard and contemporary repertoire now earns the conductor worldwide acclaim. The Washington Post says“a brilliantly directed, beautifully sung and endlessly funny Barber of Seville¼the orchestra, which played the sparkling overture and the vivid storm music with grace and color under the expert baton of Dean Williamson.” The Seattle Times says “Williamson keeps a sure, steady hand on the singers and the orchestra...realizing the shimmering and otherworldly textures of the score.”

Recent engagements from the past few seasons include Die Zauberflöte with Opera Colorado, a return to the Seattle Opera main-stage for I Pagliacci and Le Nozze di Figaro, Roméo et Juliette and Samson et Dalila with the Nashville Opera, Falstaff with the Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program, Summer and Smoke with the New England Conservatory, Street Scene at Hardin-Simmons University, Il Trovatore at the Chautauqua Opera Festival, San Francisco Opera’s outdoor concerts with the Merola Program, and Opera Cleveland’s productions of Don Giovanni, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Bohème, Hänsel und Gretel, Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Falstaff.In the 2010-2011 season, engagements include Il Barbiere di Siviglia and La Fille du Régiment with Seattle Opera, the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Grand Finale, Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci at the Chautauqua Opera, and Opera Cleveland’s productions of Les Pêcheurs des Perles,La Voix Humaine/I Pagliacci and Werther.

Williamson was for twelve years principal coach and pianist for the Seattle Opera, and most recently returned to conduct his main stage Seattle Opera debut in a new production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Turn of the Screw, and I Pagliacci. Other recent engagements include a return to Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2006 to conduct a new production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, as well as a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor with Minnesota Opera, his debut at the Wolf Trap Opera in Don Pasquale and La Cenerentola, Carmen at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Cosi Fan Tutte and Le Nozze di Figaro with the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, Don Pasquale at the San Francisco Opera’s Merola program, L’italiana in Algeri for Boston Lyric Opera, and Madama Butterfly with Chautauqua Opera.

In addition, Williamson served until 2002 as the Music Director and Conductor of the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program.He has led all of the program’s productions, including Cosi Fan Tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, La Cenerentola, and La Bohème. He was Music Director of the Washington East Opera, and Artistic Director of the Viva Voce Song Recital Series with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra.

Williamson has also worked with the Caramoor Festival, Central City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, the Blossom Festival, the Banff Festival, the Colorado Arts Festival, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Opera Idaho, Bellevue Philharmonic, and has served as Guest Faculty for the University of Washington and New York University. Mr. Williamson has also performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe as accompanist with some of the world’s leading singers in such venues as Weill Recital Hall, the Wieniawski Society, and at Merkin Hall.

His discography includes Richard Danielpour’s Chamber Concerto, Respighi’s Prelude, Bach’s Fugue, and a program of Chopin/Bartok entitled Musically Speaking all on the Delos label, as well as He’ll Bring It To Pass and Songs of Harold Arlen with Mezzo-Soprano Del-Louise Moyer on Alyssum.