Macon Symphony Orchestra

Dr Gene Carinci is CEO of the Macon Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his appointment in Macon, he served as Artistic Advisor and CEO for the Portland Chamber Players, Portland,
Maine - an ensemble he founded while serving as Executive Director of the Portland Conservatory of Music. He also represents the Yamaha Corporation as a Yamaha Performing
Artist. Prior to his move to Maine, Dr. Carinci was a tenured professor and Director of Instrumental Ensembles at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to his duties at Trinity, Dr. Carinci served as Music Director of the San Antonio Youth Orchestras, and Director of Orchestras for the San Antonio Music Institute. Additionally, he has served as
Assistant Music Director for the Louisiana Summer Music Festival, clinician for the Keilwerth
Saxophone Company of Germany, on-site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington D.C., and instrumentalist with the San Antonio, Springfield, Illinois, Charleston, and Winters Chamber Orchestra. He received the D.M.A. degree from the University of Illinois where he served on the staff from 1979 until his arrival at Trinity University in 1982. Dr. Carinci was conductor of the University of Illinois’ “Illini” Symphony Orchestra, the University of Illinois Wind Ensemble, and held a sabbatical replacement as Instructor of Instrumental Music.

Carinci has appeared as soloist throughout the United States and Canada including an appearance at the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Convention in Chicago and the Texas Music Educator’s and Texas Bandmaster’s Conventions in San Antonio. Dr. Carinci has worked with a number of world-class composers and conductors including: Karel Husa, Juan Orrego-Salas, Gunther Schuller, John Corligiano, William Bolcom, Sixten Erhling, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Julius Rudel, and Zdenek Macal. He has engaged many renowned soloists and ensembles including: the Turtle Island String Quartet, DaPonte Quartet, the Canadian Brass, soloists Billy Taylor, Chuck Mangione, William Warfield, Richard Syracuse, Frank Glazer, Tamara Poddubnaya, and Joan Morris. While at the University of Illinois, Dr. Carinci collaborated with the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti, James Galway, and Sherill Milnes. Additionally, as an on-site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, he has worked closely with a number of America’s gifted music, theater, dance and art organizations.

Dr. Carinci has commissioned a number of works including: Fantasia for Piano and Wind Orchestra, Op. 95 by Juan Orrego-Salas, [published by MMB Music, St. Louis]; Fanfare for Wind Symphony, by William Thornton [RBC Music, San Antonio, Texas]; No Timeouts Left, Ray Brown [Jazz Garden Publications]; Mach One, Jeff Jarvis [Kendor Music]; Hot Strip Shuffle, also by Jeff Jarvis [Kendor Music]; and Fernando’s Getaway, by Victor Lopez [Belwin]. Dr. Carinci has a number of works written for him including: Vignettes of a Fable Land by Richard Wetzel [Southern Music Company]; Sonata for Saxophone and Piano, by William Thornton [Hemke Saxophone Series / Southern Music]; and Songs of Tagore, by Frank Ticheli [Encore Publications]. Dr. Carinci has appeared on several local, regional, and national radio and television broadcasts including a performance on Sunday Morning on CBS.

Doris Wood is the General Manager of the Macon Symphony Orchestra. She has completed courses through the New York Writers Institute, the American Management Association, the National Association of Parliamentarians as well as public speaking and business courses.

Her years of volunteer service include having served as Junior Director and State President of the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs where she also served six years as parliamentarian. She served as chairman of Junior Projects, the Arts Department and the Human Rights Committee for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, an international organization, and had articles published in the GFWC International Clubwoman Magazine.

Having served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tallulah Falls School from 1985-1989, she was named an honorary trustee in 1994. She is the recipient of the State Outstanding Clubwoman of the Year and the Macon Arts’ Cultural Award and is listed in Outstanding Women of America and the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals.

Currently, Doris holds membership in the Career Women’s Network, Macon Rotary Club, Macon Service League, and the Morning Music Club. She has served two terms on the Music Panel of the Georgia Council for the Arts and continues to serve as a substitute panelist. She also serves on the Riverside United Methodist Church Council, the Grand Opera House Board of Governors and the American Cancer Society Hope Ball Gala Steering Committee.

Marian Sylvest Porter joined the MSO staff in October 2000 as part-time Librarian and Office Assistant. In 2006, she became a full-time employee adding Box Office Manager/Administrative Assistant to her duties. Marian maintains and procures the music of the MSO Library, which includes preparing the bowings for the MSO musicians. In addition to her library duties, she manages ticket sales, the box office and assists in administrative duties in the office. Marian is a local piano instructor with a B.A. degree in organ from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, and is a member of Delta Omicron, Professional Music Fraternity for Women. She is married to Perry, who is the Associate Pastor of Music at the Lizella Baptist Church, and they have two children – Philip and Lauren.

Staff