Alan Porter is in his eighth year as conductor of the Wilmington Choral Society. He taught for thirty-five years at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. serving part of that time as head of the Music Department and Director of the Division of Fine Arts. He currently holds the rank of Professor Emeritus from the institution. During that time he also served for forty-one years as Director of Music at Hay Street United Methodist Church.

His career for the most part has included relatively equal parts of singing and conducting. As a tenor soloist, he gave annual recitals at Methodist University and was frequently guest soloist at universities and churches throughout Eastern North Carolina. He was conductor of the Methodist University Chorus which toured annually throughout the eastern United States, France, and the Bahama Islands.

After his retirement from Methodist University, Mr.  Porter moved to Kure Beach, N,C. where he lives with his wife, Elaine. In the past year Mr Porter retired as music director of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, a community choral group that he established in 1991 and which draws singers from throughout Cumberland and surrounding counties. At his retirment concert,  the outpouring of respect and love for Mr Porter demonstrated the high esteem in which he is held at Methodist University and in the Fayetteville Community.