First Violin - Assistant Concertmaster
The Wilcox Chair
Dean Franke was born in Ottawa, Canada, and made his solo debut at age 15 with the Toronto Symphony. He was the winner of the CBC Network Talent Search and Second Prize at the CBC Festival, leading to numerous recitals and solo performances throughout Canada. He studied at Indiana University and at Juilliard and as a fellow at Tanglewood, Yale and Banff with major teachers including Franco Gulli and Stanley Ritchie. Before joining the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1990, he was assistant concertmaster of the Oakland Symphony and also performed in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony and the Toronto Symphony.

Franke is married to a violist, serves on the faculty of the University of Indianapolis and is a member of the New Century String Quartet. Away from music he enjoys studying the Chinese language and reading.