Dr. Brian Dehn is an internationally respected choral conductor and vocal pedagogue. As the Founder and Artistic Director of Meistersingers, Artistic Director of the Southern California Master Chorale, and over two decades of success at the high school and collegiate level, Dr. Dehn is known for high standards in repertoire as well as his ability to build a shape all levels of singers into extraordinary ensembles. He has conducted his singers in some of the world's most remarkable venues including Carnegie Hall, the Sistine Chapel, St. Mark's in Venice, St. Peter's in Rome, St. Mathias in Budapest, St. Tomaskircke in Vienna, St. Patrick's and The Riverside Church in New York, St. Anne's Cathedral in Sydney, St. Mary’s Church in Cambridge, St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s in Dublin, St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, and the Beijing Central Conservatory.
Dr. Dehn received advanced degrees from Claremont Graduate University, specializing in Baroque Performance Practice, and San Jose State University, focusing on Choral Conducting and Music Education. He recently completed 15 years of teaching at the high school level where his ensembles were awarded consistent "Superior" ratings and invitations to prestigious festivals around the state, including an invitation to perform at the 2014 and 2018 ACDA Western Region Conventions. He led his student programs on performance tours to New York, Spain and Portugal, San Francisco, China, Italy, Ireland and England, and Australia.
With Meistersingers, he has led the ensemble through 25 successful seasons, including producing six albums, fourteen world and regional premieres, and eight commissioned works. And now, in his fifth season as artistic director of the Southern California Master Chorale, he has programmed a wide variety of concert repertoire, including Duruflé’s and Mozart’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Bruckner’s Te Deum, and a semi-staged concert performance of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. He has also led highly successful concerts with themes such as "Music of the Movies," "Her Voice Soars! Women Composers Throughout History," and "Christmas Around the World."
Dr. Dehn is also a co-founder of the Southern California Youth Chorus, a three-level choral program designed for school-age children to build well-rounded musicians through intense study of voice, choral techniques, performance, music theory, and sight-reading.
For over 20 years Dr. Dehn has also held positions as director of music for a variety of Southern California churches. He is currently serving as Director of Music at First Christian Church in Orange, where he conducts the Chancel Choir, two Handbell Ensembles, the Children’s Choir, and leads the contemporary band.
As an accomplished tenor soloist, Dr. Dehn has performed in Chicago Symphony Hall for Chapman University, The New Century Singers, The California Women's Chorus, Pasadena Pro Musica as well as soloist for many other professional music ensembles, colleges and churches throughout Southern California. An accomplished ensemble singer in his own right, he has performed with Zephyr, De Angelis, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Dr. Dehn maintains membership in several music organizations including the American Choral Directors Association, International Federation of Choral Music, Music Educators National Conference, California Music Educators Association (where he was a presenter in 2016), Chorus America and the National Association of Church Music where he served as board member for Church Literature. He lives in Orange, California, with his wife Chelsea and their two sons.