FC Artistic Director

Brian Dean Sousa, Artistic Director

Brian Dean Sousa, B.M., M.M., is a conductor, organist, and educator whose work has been devoted to the performance and advancement of choral and sacred music. A native of southeastern Massachusetts, he serves as Artistic Director of the Falmouth Chorale and the Greater New Bedford Choral Society. He is also founder and Artistic Director of the Southcoast Festival of Choirs, a regional collaborative event that brings together singers and ensembles from across southeastern Massachusetts. In addition, he serves as Director of Music & Organist at Saint Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Mr. Sousa earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Sacred Music, with the pipe organ as his principal instrument, from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from James Madison University, where he served as Graduate Assistant to the Director of Choral Activities. His organ teachers include Raymond Whalon, Ken Cowan, and Diane Meredith Belcher, and his conducting mentors include James Jordan and Patrick Walders.

As a performer, Mr. Sousa has appeared under the direction of distinguished conductors including Lorin Maazel, Joseph Flummerfelt, Anton Armstrong, Jerry Blackstone, and Simon Carrington. His performance credits include appearances at the Kennedy Center and Avery Fisher Hall, the Royal Christmas Tour with Andrea Bocelli, Denyce Graves, and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and Star Wars in Concert. He has also presented organ recitals in Germany and Portugal, including performances in Straelen, Lisbon, and Fátima.

Throughout his career, Mr. Sousa has directed choral ensembles and liturgical music programs in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia, fostering a lifelong commitment to artistic excellence and the choral tradition.