Michael Hettwer has been a freelance horn player in the Pacific Northwest for 35 years. He is Principal Horn with the Portland Opera Orchestra and Third Horn with the Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra. He also frequently plays with the Oregon Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival and Rogue Valley Symphony orchestras. He has been Principal Horn with the Siletz Bay Music Festival four the past 4 seasons, and has performed numerous times with the Britt Festival Orchestra. Michael serves as Orchestra Manager for Portland Opera and is Orchestra Contractor for Portland’s Best of Broadway series, Orpheus PDX and numerous traveling shows. Recent engagements include The Who and The Eagles. He has performed with numerous traveling big name tours including Weird Al Yankovic, The Moody Blues and Mannheim Steamroller and has played with dozens of national Broadway tours including 
The Lion King, 
Wicked, Phantom of the Opera and 
Mary Poppins.
Michael has been involved with many chamber ensembles, including Microphilharmonia at The Shedd, Willamette University Chamber Players, Arrieu Wind Quintet, Columbia Brass, Salem Chamber Orchestra and Linfield Chamber Orchestra. He is a military veteran as well, serving for 16 years with the 234th Army Band in Portland.
He has been Professor of Horn at Willamette University since 1997. He is also Professor of Horn at Linfield, Pacific, and George Fox Universities.
Michael has recently retired after 30 years teaching music in public schools. His wife, Kami, is an elementary music educator and is also the executive director for the Salem Youth Symphony. They have three children who are all professional musicians.