Dean Roberts

{{Short description|New Zealand musician and composer (1975–2024}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

Dean Roberts (24 March 1975 – 10 August 2024) was a New Zealand musician and composer who worked with electroacoustic music, minimalism, free improvisation, song cycles and prog rock.{{cite web|title=Composer Workshop: Dean Roberts|url=http://www.nzsm.ac.nz/events/past-events/2012-events/composer-workshop-dean-roberts|website=Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music|accessdate=12 May 2015|ref=ws}} During the mid-1990s he was a member of the trio Thela with Rosy Parlane and Dion Workman. After Thela disbanded, Roberts recorded three solo albums under the name White Winged Moth, followed by a series of releases under his own name.

Along with Martin Brandlmayr and Werner Dafeldecker Roberts was a member of experimental trio Autistic Daughters when he lived in Italy.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p676723/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Autistic Daughters|last=Phares|first=Heather|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=7 May 2010}}{{cite journal|last1=Hodge|first1=Mac|title=Dean Roberts - international improviser|journal=New Zealand Musician|date=2001|volume=9|issue=6|pages=46–48}}

He also recorded with Eugene Chadbourne and Thurston Moore.{{cite web|last1=Couture|first1=François|title=Guitar Festival Summer 1999|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/guitar-festival-summer-1999-mw0000330624|website=allmusic.com|accessdate=12 May 2015}}

He graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts' Intermedia department and later taught time-based arts there.{{cite web|title=Media art|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/media-art/page-1|website=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage|accessdate=12 May 2015}}

Roberts died on 10 August 2024, at the age of 49.{{cite web|url=https://ra.co/news/81097|title=Dean Roberts, experimental musician and composer, dies aged 49|work=Resident Advisor|first=Michael|last=Lawson|date=15 August 2024|access-date=15 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=Dean Roberts (24 March 1975–10 August 2024) |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/the-portal/dean-roberts-1975-2024 |website=The Wire}}