Max Letellier is a junior at New Berlin Eisenhower High School. He began taking lessons on piano when he was five, and on violin when he was ten. He also plays clarinet in his high school band. This is Max’s fourth year in MYSO, where he is currently a violinist in the Senior Symphony, and is his second time writing a piece for the John Downey Creation Project.

When he is not composing, playing, or listening to music, Max enjoys cross country skiing, camping, and reading.

Max is excited for the opportunity to have such a high level ensemble play one of his compositions, and would like to thank Ron Foster for helping him turn his ideas into a finished piece.

Winter Fantasy is a free-form piece that explores several different musical genres. It begins with a lyrical, romantic section in D minor.  This is followed by a rhythmic Gershwin-esque passage, based on the original melody. A short clarinet solo helps transition the piece into a calmer section that still resembles the music of Gershwin. The piece then adopts a more contemporary sound and swells to a climax. Finally, the original melody returns, but with different harmonies and orchestration, ending triumphantly on a D major chord.  Max chose the name “Winter Fantasy” for his piece because its many changes in mood remind him of Wisconsin's unpredictable winter weather.