Dale Clevenger was the principal hornist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for nearly 50 years. Clevenger had mentorship from two members of the Chicago Symphony's legendary brass section, tubist Arnold Jacobs and trumpeter Adolph Herseth. Clevenger landed horn posts with several orchestras and joined the Chicago Symphony as principal hornist in 1966. During his career with the Chicago Symphony, Clevenger made guest appearances internationally, including as a frequent guest at festivals. Clevenger made his solo classical recording debut on a 1988 album performing Benjamin Britten's Serenade for tenor, horn, and strings. In 2003, Clevenger gave the world premiere of John Williams' Horn Concerto, which was dedicated to him. He earned Grammy Awards for the album The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli and an album of Strauss wind concertos. Clevenger retired from the Chicago Symphony in 2013, taking a teaching post at Indiana University. Clevenger died on January 5, 2022.