Alf Clausen received his training at North Dakota State University, the University of Wisconsin, and Boston's Berklee College of Music, earning degrees in Arranging & Composition. He began his musical career as a French Hornist and Bassist, going on to become an instructor at Berklee.

He has been composer for several television series and Movies Of The Week, includingMoonlighting, for which he received six Emmy nominations,The Simpsons, for which he received two Emmy awards, three Annie awards, three International Monitor Awards, 18 additional Emmy nominations and and three additional Annie nominations,Bette,The Critic,ALF,Christine Cromwell,Dads,Double Agent,Fame, and many more.

His feature film credits includeHalf-Baked andNumber One With A Bullet. He has contributed additional music and orchestrations to numerous feature films includingAirplane II: The Sequel,The Beastmaster, andFerris Beuller's Day Off.

He has been musical director, composer and arranger for numerous television variety shows includingThe Donny & Marie Show,Mary andThe Mary Tyler Moore Variety Hour. His CD credits (as songwriter, conductor and producer) include the hit Rhino Records releasesThe Simpsons: Songs In The Key Of Springfield: Original Music From The Television Series,Go Simpsonic With The Simpsons: More Original Music From The Television Series, and the Alf Clausen Jazz Orchestra, Swing Can Really Hang You Up The Most.

His compositions and arrangements have been featured by many recording artists and commercial advertisers. His music is featured on the Universal Studios Tram Tour 2000. He has also composed for the bands of Buddy Rich, Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, Ray Charles, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton & Denny Christianson. Awards include two Emmy awards, 30 Emmy nominations, three Annie awards, three Annie nominations, three International Monitor Awards, Grammy and CLIO nominations, Honorary Doctor of Music Degree-Berklee College of Music, Honorary Doctor of Music Degree-North Dakota State University, Alumnus Recognition Award-Berklee College of Music, One of Top 50 Alumni Award-Berklee College of Music, the Alumni Achievement Award-North Dakota State University, the 1:00 O'Clock Award-North Texas State University, two National Endowment For The Arts Composition Fellowship Grants, and seven times recipient of the ASCAP Popular Award For Music Composition. He is also a recipient of several ASCAP Film and Television Music awards.