Irving Dean is the Cantor Emeritus of the United Orthodox Synagogues in Houston, Texas. He has been with the congregation since 1960.

A native of New York, he is of Chassidic ancestry, and has inherited the melodic traditions of his family and love for synagogue music. His music, which is filled with innermost emotion and devotional sincerity, has enriched and enhanced the beauty of the synagogue chant.

A vocal student of Leon Cortilli at Columbia University, he has also studied cantorial music with Joshua Weisser.

Throughout his career, he was always involved in the Jewish education of hundreds of young people whom he first sensitized to the meaning and beauty of Jewish chant and liturgy.