Sad news: Chicago’s Dale Clevenger has died

Dale Clevenger, principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to his retirement in 2013, died in Italy on January 5.

He was 81 years old.

The family will shortly be issuing a statement. UPDATE: Family statement here.

Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, he joined Leopold Stokowski’s American Symphony Orchestra and the Kansas City Philharmonic before hooking with Chicago as a defining tone, one of its most recognisable and best loved players. John Williams wrote a horn concerto for him (interview here).

Away from the night job, he conducted the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra from 1981 to 1995.

After the death of his wife Alice in 2011 and his retirement in 2013, he moved to Italy and some years later married Giovanna Grassi.