Dale Clevenger

Born July 2, 1940, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dale Clevenger was best-known for being the Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) from 1966 until he retired in 2013. Raised in a musical household – his father was president of the Chattanooga Opera Association – Dale Clevenger began training on the trumpet when he was 11, switching to the French horn two years later. In 1962, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before taking his position with the CSO, he had spent time performing with international ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski’s American Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of the Air, and the Kansas City Philharmonic. During his time with the CSO, Dale Clevenger also spent time as a member of jazz group Ears, playing weekly Tuesday night gigs for 17 years. This time spent exploring music outside of the classical realm is credited as one of the inspirations behind his forceful, risk-taking sound in the CSO. His recording career includes the Grammy-winning 1968 album The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, which was recorded with the brass sections of the CSO, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Dale Cleveland was a featured soloist on the CSO’s Grammy-winning Strauss Wind Concertos (2001). Further albums in his catalog include Music for French Horn & Piano with pianist Meg Bachman Vas (1973), Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4 (1987), J. & M. Haydn: Horn Concertos (1991), and Masterpieces for Horn & Strings (2007). Dale Clevenger premiered John Williams’ Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, which was written for him, in 2003. Dale Clevenger also conducted orchestras in several countries including the US, Asia, Australia, and Central America. He retired from the CSO in 2013 and spent the remainder of his life living in Brescia, Italy. Dale Clevenger died on January 5, 2022, at the age of 81.