Biography

Margot Dean was Section Principal Bassoon with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from 1992 to 2003.

She performed as soloist with the Melbourne, Adelaide, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and as soloist with the orchestras of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany and Russia.

She played in many cities of Europe, North America, and Asia in festivals, competitions, and tours.

As a competitor in the ABC Young Performers Awards 1994, Margot was joint winner of the Instrumental Section, performing live on television with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. 

She was a member of the World Youth Orchestra and Australian Youth Orchestra and received scholarships from the German Government and Queen Elizabeth Trust to complete post-graduate studies in Germany with Professor Karl-Otto Hartmann.

She passed her Examination of Artistic Merit there with High Distinction.

Her Bachelor of Music with Distinction was completed with Richard McIntyre at the Canberra School of Music and included composition studies with Donald Hillier.

Margot was a long term member of the Woden Valley Youth Choir.

A special memory of Margot’s career was receiving flowers from Luciano Pavarotti after performing a duet with him in Verdi's Requiem. 

Margot's career as a performer ended in 2003 following the onset of cervical dystonia, but she has since become known for her performances of the Mozart and Kozeluh Bassoon Concertos in the popular film, 'Dystonia'. (Click here to view the film).

She continues to enjoy making music through her compositions, and her story has been chronicled in the novel, 'Life and Music' by Monty Raymond. 

Margot was formerly known as Margot Lee and Margot Chiverton.