Linda Van Dyke

Linda discovered her lifelong calling when she began playing clarinet in fourth grade. She earned both her bachelor’s and graduate degrees in music from DePaul University. While there, she began teaching private lessons at several local high schools, eventually focusing exclusively on Oak Park and River Forest High School, where she has taught for nearly 40 years. Linda finds deep fulfillment in one-on-one teaching, often guiding students for six to seven years as they grow both musically and personally. Her lessons are thoughtfully tailored to each student while maintaining a strong foundation in fundamentals and repertoire for clarinet and saxophone.

Alongside her teaching, Linda has built an accomplished performing career. She spent a decade leading a Chicago-area band for weddings and corporate events and has performed with renowned artists including Julie Andrews, Idina Menzel, Todd Rundgren, and Barry Manilow. Her performance credits also include numerous local and touring productions such as Wicked, The Color Purple, Fosse, 42nd Street, and Cinderella. A highlight of her career was performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a unique fusion of Tchaikovsky’s and Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker.