"Dale Clevenger was one of the pillars that created the famed “Chicago sound.” Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1940, Clevenger attended Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Before joining the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1966, Clevenger held horn positions with the American Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of the Air, and the Kansas City Philharmonic.

As Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to 2013, Clevenger would lead the brass section to new heights that placed the Orchestra on the mountaintop in terms of sound and beauty. With Adolph Herseth, Jay Friedman, and Arnold Jacobs, the CSO brass section would become the Gold Standard not only in performance but also through multiple award-winning recordings.

As a soloist, Clevenger recorded several albums of horn concerti that would receive critical acclaim and become standard recordings for horn students. In 2004, he gave the world premiere of John Williams’ Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, a piece written for Clevenger.

Clevenger, a prolific conductor, was the Music Director of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra from 1981 to 1995. In addition, he conducted multiple orchestras throughout the world including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the New Japan Philharmonic, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

To round out this incredible musical career, Clevenger was an avid teacher, having students that currently fill many professional orchestras, ensembles, and university positions. His teaching positions included long stints both at Roosevelt University and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music." - Jaremy E. Smith