5 Oct 2026
Episode 31: Bringing the Orchestra to the Community
Listen to John's story in this episode as he has worked alongside his job as a pilot and flight instructor to build the North Texas Symphony Orchestra, and is finding ways to bring the orchestra to the community.
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John's Bio:John Porter, native of the North Texas area, is a commercial pilot, flight instructor, orchestral
conductor, double bassist, and aircraft engineer. In addition to teaching flight courses and
ground classes to student, private, instrument, and commercial pilots at Addison Executive
Airport, he serves as the Artistic and Executive Director of the North Texas Symphony
Orchestra (NTXSO).
As the Artistic Director of the NTXSO, Porter has successfully led performances of major
orchestral masterworks such as Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.
4, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, and Mahler’s Symphonies No. 1 and No. 2. In response to
Porter’s leadership of Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, a music reviewer wrote, “Mr. Porter is
certainly one of the top young conductors to watch at this moment. We will be at as many future
performances as possible to document the work.” His 2026 performance of Mahler’s Symphony
No. 2 achieved regional recognition, as it was covered by the Friends of WRR as well as other
outlets.
As the NTXSO Executive Director, Porter manages the everyday business practices of the
nonprofit. He is the primary grant writer, and he works tirelessly to further its connections with
the local community at large.
From 2021-2024, while earning a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science at LeTourneau
University, in Longview, Texas, Porter served as the first music director of the LeTourneau
University Community Orchestra – an ensemble composed of students, professors, and East
Texas community members. Under his leadership and with the help of many other people, the
LeTourneau Community Orchestra grew from a modest string trio to a full-blown symphonic
ensemble with over 100 members and its own internal 40-person chorus. It became the largest
performing ensemble in the university’s history. Additionally, Porter has served on the
conducting staff at the East Texas Youth Orchestra for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
His teachers include conductors at the university and professional performance level from around the country,
and he has worked with soloists including Dr. Kaden Larson of Indiana University on Rachmaninoff's
Piano Concerto No. 2, Juliette Herlin of Texas Christian University on Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B
Minor, Anna Larson of the University of Texas at Tyler, and Dr. Alex McDonald of the Juilliard School on
also on Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and the world premiere of Kyle Cornelison's Piano Concerto
in G Minor (2025).
Porter is an passionate advocate of arts education, and seeks to connect NTXSO with local arts organizations and youth education programs, frequently programming library concerts and a side-by-side with the Greater Rockwall Youth Symphony. In addition to his work with NTXSO, Porter has guest conducted various orchestras and
organizations all over Texas, such as the Mansfield
Philharmonic Upcoming projects include Porter in collaboration with soloist Eldred Marshall to perform
and record all five Beethoven piano concertos with soloist Eldred Marshall- all in one live performance.
When asked about the NTXSO, Porter says: “I am most excited about the opportunities we have
to connect the music world and musicians therein to the community of people around us, not
just in the DFW area, but around the world through our influence, for the sole goal of creating
safe spaces, camaraderie, and uplifting each other through all we offer. This can happen in
many ways – through engagement, education, programming, collaboration, and all-inclusive
repertoire. But most importantly, it must be accomplished by a unified people that we work with
and for, first, before anything else.”
