Former Chicago Symphony Principal Horn Dies At 81
Dale Clevenger, one of the pillars that created the famed “Chicago sound,” died on January 5, 2022. He was 81 and passed away in Italy from complications of Waldenstrom’s disease.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on July 2, 1940, Clevenger attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1962. 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.
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On a personal note: I was fortunate to be a graduate student at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music during their Centennial Celebration in 2012. As part of this celebration, Dale Clevenger was invited back to the University to conduct the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic in two performances of Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück for Four Horns. As the Orchestra Manager for the Philharmonic, sitting through these rehearsals was a highlight of my time at CMU. The soloists for this mammoth piece included Howard Wall (retired horn member of the New York Philharmonic and a 1972 graduate of CMU), Peter Rubins (Second Horn of the San Antonio Symphony and a 1986 graduate of CMU), William Caballero (Principal Horn of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and a CMU faculty member), and Brice Andrus (retired Principal Horn of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra). It was a memorable performance that was experienced both in Pittsburgh and New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Click here to see more photos from this event.
Featured Image Credit: Todd Rosenberg Photography
