Stephen Salem is a music educator at Liverpool High School, where he conducts the LHS Symphonic Band, Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, and teaches SUNY OCC Music Theory. During his tenure at Liverpool, he has also conducted the Concert Band, Stage Band, Pit Orchestra, and served as Brass Caption Head for the LHS Marching Band. Ensembles under his direction have been selected to perform at the NYSSMA Winter Conference and the NAfME Eastern Division Conference. In addition to teaching at Liverpool, Mr. Salem currently serves as the Music Director of the Syracuse Youth Orchestra, where he conducts the Young Artists and Repertory Orchestras. Most recently, Mr. Salem was honored as a recipient of the WCNY Classic FM Music Educator Award.

 

As a conductor, Mr. Salem has been featured in a variety ofprestigious festivals including the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the Oregon Summer Conducting Institute, the Nordic Masterclass for Conductors in Denmark, where he worked with the South Jutland Symphony. He has also participated in the International Conducting Workshop and Festival in Czech Republic with the Bohuslav MartinuPhilharmonic. Additionally, he has led Symphoria (now the Syracuse Orchestra) in educational concerts. 

 

Beyond teaching and conducting, Mr. Salem is an active performer on tuba and bass trombone. He has performed with Central Winds, the Auburn Chamber Orchestra, the Syracuse Orchestra, the Utica Symphony, and the Misty Cove Brass Quintet as well as the Central Winds Jazz Ensemble on bass trombone.

 

Mr. Salem earned his master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting Performance from the University of Florida and his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University. His conducting teachers include David Waybright and John Laverty, as well as supplemental studies with Jorma Panula, Larry Rachleff, and Donald Schleicher. 

Mr. Salem is a member of several professional organizations including the New York State School Music Association, the National Association for Music Education, Onondaga County Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the American Federation of Musicians, Local 78. Mr. Salem resides in Liverpool with his wife Anna, and their two children, Amelia and Jonah.