Clemmer brings more than two decades of leadership across the performing arts, higher education, and the private sector. An arts executive, conductor, educator, author, and organizational leader, his work has taken him from concert halls in Europe and international school ensembles in the Caribbean to nationally televised performances with the Boston Pops and professional development collaborations spanning Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Clemmer’s leadership is grounded in the belief that live music is among the most profound human experiences a community can share. He is equally committed to the organizational conditions that make artistic excellence possible: trust, clarity, disciplined stewardship, shared purpose, and a healthy culture in which people can do their best work.

At the University of Houston, Clemmer eliminated a five-year operating deficit within a single fiscal year through structural budget realignment and a sharpened revenue strategy while preserving the program’s full artistic scope. At the University of Kansas, he increased program participation by 89 percent and donor support by 326 percent, helping build one of the region’s most visible university music programs.

His private-sector experience further broadened his executive perspective. Clemmer advised leadership teams on organizational structure, financial systems, and operational effectiveness, and helped lead a business transformation that increased company revenue from $60 million to $160 million. He now brings that breadth of executive experience to the Symphony’s work throughout the Texas Panhandle’s 25,000-square-mile service region.

As a published scholar and pedagogical innovator, Clemmer is co-author of The Directed Listening Model: A Rehearsal Guide for Ensemble Musicianship, a framework now used by universities and secondary schools in twelve countries across five continents. His commitment to professional development extends through COMMON TIME, the organization he founded to support music educators through podcasts, publications, collaborative learning, and mentorship. Its initiatives include the Common Time Podcast, reaching listeners in more than 60 countries, the Common Time Collective, and the MaestroMind professional development community.

Clemmer’s international work includes the development of a new conductor-training and ensemble pedagogy initiative in Ghana. Alongside colleagues from the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois, he is co-developing the Certificate in Wind Band Conducting and Pedagogy at the University of Cape Coast. Planned for launch in 2027, the program is currently undergoing accreditation and is designed to become the first credential of its kind on the African continent. Related workshops have engaged more than 1,500 participants from over thirteen countries.

Clemmer earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, the Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Oklahoma, and the Bachelor of Music in Music Business and Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington.

David and his wife, Theresa (and their two dogs, Ollie and Caroline), are excited to call Amarillo home and look forward to becoming active members of the community. They share a love of travel—especially returning to Paris, where they were engaged, and Italy, where they were married—and they never pass up great Mexican food. Whether through music, travel, or time with family and friends, Clemmer believes that shared experiences are what strengthen communities, enrich our lives, and inspire us to build something greater than ourselves.