Dale Clevenger
Encyclopedia
Dale Clevenger has been Principal Horn
of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
since 1966. Before joining the CSO, he was a member of Leopold Stokowski
's American Symphony Orchestra
and the Symphony of the Air directed by Alfred Wallenstein
. He was also principal horn of the Kansas City Philharmonic.
. The couple had two sons, Mac and Jessee. His wife died in 2011. He resides in Winnetka, Illinois
.
, Pittsburgh
, in 1962.
Clevenger considers Arnold Jacobs
and Adolph Herseth
, former principal brass instrumentalists of the CSO, to be his mentors.
Clevenger has performed with many ensembles worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic (under Daniel Barenboim
). He has taken part in many music festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
, Florida Music Festival, Sarasota, Marrowstone Music Festival, Bellingham
, Washington, and Affinis Music Festival, Japan
.
He won a Grammy Award for "The Antiphonal Music
of Gabrieli
," which he recorded with members of the Chicago Symphony brass section, as well as the brass sections of the Philadelphia Orchestra
and the Cleveland Orchestra
His recording of Mozart's horn concertos was named Record of the Year in Hungary
on the Europe
an label Hungaraton. He also was a featured soloist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Grammy-winning Strauss Wind Concertos album, on which he plays Strauss's first horn concerto, as well as Andante for horn and piano in C major with Daniel Barenboim
accompanying on piano.
In 2003, Clevenger premiered John William's
Concerto for Horn and Orchestra
, a work written for him.
In addition to performing, Clevenger is an experienced conductor. He was the Music Director of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra from 1981 to 1995.. He has expanded his conducting career with with numerous orchestras in North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, recently leading the Orquestra Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon with Daniel Barenboim as soloist.
Clevenger currently teaches at Roosevelt University
.
, with the latter describing his work as "unpredictable horn solos, some firm, others faltering.
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
since 1966. Before joining the CSO, he was a member of Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
's American Symphony Orchestra
American Symphony Orchestra
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski, then aged 80. Following Maestro Stokowski's departure, Kazuyoshi Akiyama was appointed Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1978. Music Directors during the early...
and the Symphony of the Air directed by Alfred Wallenstein
Alfred Wallenstein
Alfred Wallenstein was an American cellist and conductor, born in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 17, he joined the San Francisco Symphony as a cellist. He subsequently played cello with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra before becoming principal cello of the New...
. He was also principal horn of the Kansas City Philharmonic.
Personal life
Clevenger married Alice Anne Render of Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The couple had two sons, Mac and Jessee. His wife died in 2011. He resides in Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
.
Musical career
He started playing trumpet at age 11 and switched to horn at age 13. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, in 1962.
Clevenger considers Arnold Jacobs
Arnold Jacobs
Arnold Jacobs was an American orchestral tuba player who was most known as the principal Tubist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1944 until his retirement in 1988....
and Adolph Herseth
Adolph Herseth
Adolph Sylvester Herseth, was principal trumpet in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1948 until 2001, and served as principal trumpet emeritus from 2001 until his retirement in 2004.-Biography:...
, former principal brass instrumentalists of the CSO, to be his mentors.
Clevenger has performed with many ensembles worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic (under Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
). He has taken part in many music festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival is a six week long summer Festival of chamber music held annually in July and August and located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was founded in 1972 and presented its first series of concerts in 1973. Well-known musicians and young performers appear each season in...
, Florida Music Festival, Sarasota, Marrowstone Music Festival, Bellingham
Bellingham
- Places :Australia:* Bellingham, Tasmania, coastal hamlet in Northern TasmaniaEngland:* Bellingham, London, neighbourhood and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham* Bellingham, Northumberland, villageUnited States:* Bellingham, Washington...
, Washington, and Affinis Music Festival, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
He won a Grammy Award for "The Antiphonal Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.-Biography:Gabrieli was born in Venice...
," which he recorded with members of the Chicago Symphony brass section, as well as the brass sections of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
and the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
His recording of Mozart's horn concertos was named Record of the Year in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
on the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an label Hungaraton. He also was a featured soloist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Grammy-winning Strauss Wind Concertos album, on which he plays Strauss's first horn concerto, as well as Andante for horn and piano in C major with Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
accompanying on piano.
In 2003, Clevenger premiered John William's
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
Concerto for Horn and Orchestra
Horn Concerto (Williams)
John Williams's Concerto for Horn and Orchestra is a solo composition for horn with orchestra accompaniment. Williams wrote the piece for principal horn player Dale Clevenger of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2003 on a commission from the Edward F. Schmidt Family Commissioning Fund. The...
, a work written for him.
In addition to performing, Clevenger is an experienced conductor. He was the Music Director of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra from 1981 to 1995.. He has expanded his conducting career with with numerous orchestras in North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, recently leading the Orquestra Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon with Daniel Barenboim as soloist.
Clevenger currently teaches at Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
.
Reviews by music critics
Over the years, critics have written of his playing as being "satin smooth (1975)," as having "mellow radiance and gentle flow...despite a few inconsequential fluffs (1978)," and of his "pianissimo trills and daredevil octaves (1981)." He has also been said to have "an unfailing sense of direction in phrasing (1983),", "well drawn legato phrases" despite "regrettable lapses of intonation in the fast ornamental section (1984)" and "smooth control (1991)." In 2010, his horn solos received some negative reviews from music critics at the New York Times and the Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, with the latter describing his work as "unpredictable horn solos, some firm, others faltering.
Discography
- The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli (1968)
- The Cleveland, Philadephia, and Chicago Brass Ensembles
- Richard Burgin, conductor
- Mozart: Four Horn Concertos (1996)
- Dale Clevenger, horn
- Franz Liszt Chamber OrchestraFranz Liszt Chamber OrchestraThe Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Budapest, Hungary.The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra took the name of the great composer, to pay homage to the genius who became inseparable with the establishment of Hungarian music and whose spirit irradiates the musical life of...
- Janos Rolla, conductor
- Richard Strauss: Wind Concertos (2001)
- Dale Clevenger, horn
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Daniel Barenboim, conductor
- The Chicago Principal: First Chair Soloist Play Famous Concertos (2003)
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Hadyn Horn Concertos (2006)
- Dale Clevenger, horn
- Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra
- Janos Rolla, conductor
- Richard & Franz Strauss: Horn Concertos (2006)
- Steven Gross, horn
- Philharmonia Orchestra of Bratislava
- Dale Clevenger, conductor
External links
- Clevenger's website
- Interview with Dale Clevenger by Bruce Duffie, October 16, 2003