Head of the Department of Music at the University of Saskatchewan, Canadian trumpeter/composer Dean McNeill holds music degrees from the University of North Texas (Masters), McGill University (Undergraduate), and Grant MacEwan College (Music Diploma).

Dean has composed and/or arranged music for professional ensembles including brass quintet, symphony orchestra, large and small brass ensembles, jazz combo, and large jazz ensemble.

Dean's arrangements of the jazz standard All of You won an award from Downbeat Magazine for University Student Arrangement of the Year.

In the jazz idiom Dean has performed with the Banff Centre Jazz Orchestra, Vancouver Jazz Orchestra, the Birth of the Cool Repertoire Project, the Art Blakey Tribute Project, and with the likes of Kenny Wheeler, Pat LaBarbera, P.J. Perry, Bobby Caldwell, Carol Welsman, Hugh Fraser, Tommy Banks (big band and combo), Campbell Ryga, Kelly Jefferson, Robert Younge, among others. Dean currently directs the Metro Jazz Ensemble of Saskatoon and he has led many jazz combo-touring projects throughout Western Canada. He has performed as a featured guest artist with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, Washington State Jazz Ensemble 1 (Pullman, Washington), Crane School of Music Jazz Ensemble 1 (Potsdam, New York), Brandon University Jazz Ensemble 1 (Brandon, Manitoba), and the University of Manitoba Jazz Ensemble 1 (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

In the classical idiom Dean has been a member of the Saskatchewan Brass Quintet (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), the Blue Bonnet Brass (Fort Worth, Texas), and the Red Deer (Alberta), Irving (Texas), and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Symphony Orchestras. He has performed as a soloist in numerous classical recitals (e.g. University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta), Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama), Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma), University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)), and at the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards (Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan). Dean has performed recently on CBC radio multiple times, in both the classical and jazz realms.

Dean has adjudicated in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec and in this capacity shared the stage with such performers as Tommy Banks, Dee Daniels, Hugh Fraser, Kelly Jefferson, Bob Mintzer, P.J. Perry, Campbell Ryga, Brad Turner, Sunny Wilkinson, and many others. A recipient of the UofS Dept of Music's Dwaine Nelson Teaching Awards,Dean has been the Musical Director of the Texas Lone Star Film Awards, the Edmonton Jazz Society's Little Bird Big Band, and the E.J.S.'s Jazz Works music workshop. On multiple occasions Dean been an adjudicator for the Western Canadian Music Awards, the Canadian Juno Awards and the Saskatoon Community Foundation (scholarships).

Dean has been a Yamaha trumpet artist for the past 11 years playing the Yamaha YTR835RG (Bb Xeno), the YTR8445G (C Xeno), YTR9830 (Piccolo), TFH6310Z (Flugel horn), TR9610 (Eb/D), and the TCR-731 (Cornet).

Dean currently teaches large jazz ensemble, jazz arranging, and applied trumpet at the UofS.