Artistic Staff
Jon Harris-Clippinger
Musical Director and Conductor of Salem Youth Symphony
Jon Harris-Clippinger has been with the Salem Youth Symphony organization for 24 years. He currently conducts the Youth Symphony Orchestra, the premier ensemble, and serves as musical director of the Salem Youth Symphony Association. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Willamette University where he studied conducting under Bruce McIntosh, Martin Behnke, and Wallace Long. He received his Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois where he studied conducting under Donald Schleicher, Deborah Sheldon, and Kathleen Horvath.
Jon has taught orchestra in Salem-Keizer for 24 years and currently works in the South Salem High School orchestra program at Leslie Middle School and Howard Street Charter School. He has fostered collaborations between the Newport Youth Symphony at the Oregon Coast (NYSOC), Central Oregon Youth Symphony (COYS), and Salem Youth Symphony. Members of the organizations have inspired elementary students by producing children’s concerts at the Performing Arts Center in Newport and in the Bend-La Pine school district. Jon developed the masterclass series connecting SYS musicians with world-renowned teachers and artists from Juilliard, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and beyond.
Jon is the executive director of Summer Strings, an orchestra camp he founded in 1999 that serves 200 area string students. In 2003, Jon was a guest conductor with the South Salem High School Chamber Orchestra at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. He remains an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA), and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Jon has been a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician for the Washington State University Orchestra Festival. He has adjudicated events for the Evergreen School District Solo & Ensemble Festival, MTNA String Solo Competition, and the Oregon Cello Society.
Jon has privately taught several award-winning cellists. He received his inspiration for working with youth orchestras as a member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) from 1987-1994 where he toured Europe and Asia under the direction of Jacob Avshalomov. Jon enjoys living in Salem with his wife, Jennifer, and their daughter, Emma, who plays in Youth Symphony. His son, Caden, Salem Youth Symphony alum and past concerto winner, is off on his next adventure and has begun studying cello performance at the University of Oregon with Steve Pologe, SYS cello coach.
Danny Hunt
Conductor of Philharmonia
Danny Hunt is director of bands at Claggett Creek Middle School in Keizer and has taught middle school band for over 25 years. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. He feels honored to be able to teach in the Salem-Keizer school district, which he believes provides incredible support for music education and has one of the finest comprehensive music programs in the country. He values his many colleagues in the district for their expertise, passion, and willingness to collaborate. He is so thankful to have the special opportunity to conduct Philharmonia, as both his daughter Natalie and son Nicholas have been members of Salem Youth Symphony orchestras. Danny enjoys racquetball, backpacking, and spending time with his wife, Kenda, and their three children (Natalie, Nicholas, and Caleb).
Jim Charnholm
Philharmonia String Technique Advisor
Jim Charnholm, a native of Salem, Oregon, and graduate of Sprague High School, knew from an early age that music would play a large part in his life. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, with a bachelor’s degree in education and violin performance. He taught in Illinois for four years while completing a master’s degree in music education at Illinois State University. Jim moved back to Oregon in 2002; he is proud to have been a part of further developing the tradition of musical excellence at McKay High School. During his seventeen-year tenure at McKay High School, the orchestra program grew. A full symphony was added in 2016. The McKay Chamber Orchestra consistently placed in the top ten at the OSAA String Orchestra Festival.
In 2019 the Oregon Symphony Association in Salem honored him with its award for Outstanding Music Educator of the Year. He serves on the board of the Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival based in Newport, Oregon, that provides a four-day festival for public school orchestra programs free of charge. Jim runs a family business with his wife, Anne Marie. They have two daughters, Amy and Megan. Jim enjoys hiking, sailing, and spending time with his family during his free time.
Mac Mayer
Conductor of Amadeus Players
Mac Mayer is the orchestra director at Whiteaker Middle School and its feeder elementary schools in Keizer, Oregon. He holds undergraduate degrees in music performance and music education from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in music education from the University of Kansas. Prior to teaching in the Salem-Keizer school district Mr. Mayer taught orchestra in Kansas, Georgia and Ohio.
Mac serves as co-chair for the Oregon Middle School All-State Orchestra and is a certified orchestra adjudicator in Oregon. In addition to conducting the Amadeus Players orchestra, Mr. Mayer works frequently as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor.
Mac is married to Brigid Mayer, the orchestra director at West Salem High School. His son Eben played the cello through high school and currently studies wildlife biology at the University of Montana, his son Noah plays the violin at South Salem High School and in Salem Youth Symphony, and his youngest daughter Helen shows a variety of musical abilities at a young age. Mr. Mayer is thrilled to conduct the Amadeus Players for the 2024-25 Season.
Rachael Anderson
Conductor of Mozart Players
Rachael Anderson holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, and a Master of Music Education from Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. With a broad range of teaching experiences, Rachael has instructed elementary strings, middle and high school orchestras, and college-level string techniques. From 2004 to 2008, she taught at Crossler Middle School and its feeder elementary schools. From 2015 to 2017, she mentored early-career elementary string teachers in the Salem-Keizer school district.
In addition to her classroom work, Rachael has co-taught Summer Strings for over a decade under the leadership of Jon Harris-Clippinger. She has also maintained a private studio, teaching violin, viola, and piano lessons for over 20 years.
Rachael directed both the Mozart and Amadeus Players from 2018 to 2020 and is excited to return as the director of the Mozart Players. She lives with her husband, Carl, and their two children, Naomi and Ian.
Administrative Staff
Kami Hettwer
Executive Director
Kami Hettwer is a dedicated music educator and arts administrator, serving as Executive Director for both the Salem Youth Symphony and the Salem Philharmonia Orchestra. She is passionate about creating enriching musical opportunities for both young and adult musicians. With a Bachelor of Music from Willamette University, Kami also works as an elementary general music specialist at Santiam Christian Schools and enjoys her work as a part-time collaborative pianist.
All three of her children—Matthew, Joshua, and Jenessa—are former members of the Salem Youth Symphony and have gone on to become professional musicians. She lives in Salem with her husband, Mike Hettwer, who performs with the Portland Opera and Oregon Ballet Theatre orchestras and is the musician contractor for Broadway Across America.