Our Conductors
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Our three conductors are enthusiastic professional music educators who teach in the Salem-Keizer school district. Deborah Ward Amadeus  Deborah Ward majored in cello performance at Biola University, and then began teaching
in private schools while finishing a music education degree at the University
of Oregon and Portland State University. She taught at Salem Academy
Middle and High Schools for five years, and then pursued a Master's degree in
Conducting at the University of Oregon, participating also in the Oregon Bach
Festival conducting master clinics. Upon completion of her Master's
degree in 1987 she began teaching in the Salem-Keizer public schools where she
finished thirty years of teaching music with her final twelve years at McNary
High School and its feeder elementary schools. She has also performed in
the Salem area "Cello Connection," the Salem Chamber Orchestra in
past years and has taught private cello lessons over the last 32 years.
Deborah began with the Salem Youth Symphony in 1982 helping with cello
sectionals with the then two orchestras. Later in 1987 she directed the
younger orchestra for one year. The Youth Symphony Association decided to
start a third group in 1992, which was named the Amadeus Players. Deborah
conducted this group for four years, then took a break for four years while
remaining on the board. She has been back conducting the Amadeus Players
for the past seven years.
Jon Harris-Clippinger Philharmonia  Jon Harris-Clippinger has been teaching orchestra in Salem-Keizer for nine years and currently works for South Salem High School, Howard Street Charter School, Leslie Middle School and McKinley Elementary School. He received his Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Bachelor of Music Education from Willamette University. Jon was director of the Amadeus Orchestra, the youngest group of the Salem Youth Symphony, from 1999-2001. He remains an active member of the Music Educators National Conference and Oregon Music Education Association. Jon maintains a small private cello studio and has been an adjudicator for the Oregon Cello Society. Jon enjoys living in Salem with his wife Jennifer and their children Caden and Emma. Larry Garrett Youth Symphony |