Gabrielle Peck is a ninth grader currently attending school online through Wisconsin Virtual Academy. She has played the cello for seven years, and studies with Ravenna Helson. Gabby is principal cellist in MYSO’s Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and participates in many of the programs at MYSO, including mentoring for the Progressions program, as well as the Chamber Ensemble, the Concerto Competition, and the Chamber Orchestra. In addition to the cello, Gabrielle also plays the piano and bayan accordion, and studies with Stas Venglevski for both instruments. Gabrielle’s interest in composing began when she was four years old, where she was inspired by an Egyptian exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum and wrote her first piece, The Pretty Song. Gabrielle has composed many pieces since then and is currently writing a piece that will be featured in a performance by The Houston Accordion Orchestra in January of 2023.

Gabrielle is thrilled to have been chosen for the John Downey Creation Project this year, and hopes that you enjoy her piece as much as she enjoyed composing it. She would like to thank her composition mentor, Rick Walters and MYSO's Philharmonia music director, Dan Duffy for helping her with this piece.

Gabrielle’s piece, The Mischievous Geese, is about a quiet spring evening, where a large crowd gathers to watch a famous duo perform a newly composed tango. Little do they know that there are nesting geese in the grass by the river nearby. The music starts, the geese do not like it at all, so mischief ensues! The aggressive trumpets and oboes are symbolic of goose honks and angry geese chasing the performers around onstage. They are able to chase most of the geese away just in time for the triumphant major section, but the geese come back one last time causing widespread panic, until finally the performers finish, and everyone leaves in a hurry.