Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1546131
"What's been amazing about the MMSO is that we have upended the symphony business model to great success," Morrison said. "If you told most people in the classical music world that you were starting a brand-new orchestra in 2021 in Macon, Georgia to play on Monday nights, you would certainly get some looks. Not only have we done it, but the tickets are in high demand, with over half of the audience as committed subscribers, and an audience that feels like it more authentically represents Macon than ever. This is a testament to Robert McDuffie's big vision — that so many people in Central Georgia are on board." U N E X P E C T E D E X P E R I E N C E S The international fame of violin virtuoso and Macon native Robert McDuffie not only led to his founding the McDuffie Center as a training ground for talented young musicians, but also to the immediate respect it generated among world-class musicians who serve as visiting faculty and others eager to participate in its musical projects. It also led to other, sometimes unexpected, opportunities. As founder of the Rome (Italy) Chamber Music Festival, it was natural that McDuffie students began to participate. It was McDuffie who opened the door for collaborations with Mills and Leavell, who, along with McDuffie, created "A Night of Georgia Music" — a tour, an Emmy-winning television program taped at The Grand, and, most recently, a Carnegie Hall performance. The program features the three performing classic Georgia-based songs and Mills' "Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and String Orchestra" with a group of rock musicians and McDuffie string students. Entering the next 20 years, expect the unexpected as relationships and partnerships continue to grow. N E W A N D F A M I L I A R F A C E S With an eye on what's happening at the McDuffie Center, it's clear that much remains the same in its mission to provide a superior, intensive experience for training young and talented string musicians "If you told most people in the classical music world that you were starting a brand-new orchestra in 2021 in Macon, Georgia to play on Monday nights, you would certainly get some looks." August/September 2026| maconmagazine.com 109 ABOVE Founder Robert McDuffie pairs the strings program with Mercer's basketball team in a 2018 event. Photo by Christopher Ian Smith for Mercer University.