Gwinnett County Youth Symphony

Mr. David Metrio

David Metrio is a Colombian-American educator, conductor, and double-bassist based in the Atlanta area. Mr. Metrio is currently the Director of Orchestras at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, GA, as well as the conductor for the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Before his appointment to the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony Orchestra, Metrio served as a conductor for the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons. Mr. Metrio has also served as a double bass clinician for the New England Conservatory Preparatory School in Boston, MA.

Mr. Metrio was named the Teacher of the Year at North Gwinnett High School for the 2022/2023 school year, and a Top 25 Finalist for County-Wide Teacher of the Year. Orchestras under Mr. Metrio’s direction consistently receive superior ratings at performance evaluations and frequently perform in concert and invitational settings. Most recently, the North Gwinnett High School Chamber Orchestra has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in March of 2026.

Under his direction, the North Gwinnett High School Chamber Orchestra was also invited to perform at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the American String Teacher’s National Orchestra Festival, the Georgia Music Educator Association’s In-Service conference, the Capital Orchestra Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and the Kennesaw State University Orchestra Invitational. The North Gwinnett High School Orchestra has also been named a national winner in the Mark of Excellence/National Orchestra Honors project by the Foundation for Music Education.

Mr. Metrio is in demand as a guest clinician and conductor, and has been invited to conduct, present, or adjudicate at various orchestra festivals around the United States.

Mr. Metrio is an active member of the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), where he serves on the state board of directors as Chairman for District 13, as well as a member of the state standing committee for the orchestra division. Mr. Metrio is also the organizer for the GMEA Allstate 11/12 Full Orchestra.

He is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), where he serves as the membership liaison for the Georgia chapter.

Before serving as Director of Orchestras at North Gwinnett High School, Mr. Metrio served as the Director of Orchestras at Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, GA. In 2020, Mr. Metrio was named the Professional Association of Georgia Educators STAR teacher for Lanier High School as well as a finalist for Lanier High School Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Carl Rieke

Mr. Carl Rieke graduated from St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota) in 1997, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. He received his Masters Degree in Instrumental Conducting from Georgia State University in 2003.

Mr. Rieke has served as the music director at the Red Wing Theater Company in Red Wing, Minnesota. He has also performed with a variety of orchestras, including the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, the Owatonna Chamber Orchestra, the New Ulm Civic Orchestra, the Southern Crescent Symphony Orchestra, and the North Georgia Symphony. For nine years he served as a co-director of the Southern Crescent Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Rieke is also the director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Philharmonia and Sinfonietta Orchestras.

From 1999 until 2006, Mr. Rieke was Director of Orchestras at Shiloh High School in Gwinnett County. From 2006-2015, Mr. Rieke taught at Ola Middle School in Henry County where he was named Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year. That same year, his program received the GMEA Exemplary Program Award. In 2013, Mr. Rieke was named a “Class Act” teacher by Atlanta’s WXIA-TV—11 Alive News.

Under Mr. Rieke’s direction, the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony, Metropolitan Youth Symphony Philharmonia, the Osborne Middle School Orchestra, and the Southern Crescent Symphony were featured at the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) state conference. He is currently the director of orchestras at Frank N. Osborne Middle School in Gwinnett County where he was named the 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year. The Osborne Middle School Orchestra program received the GMEA Exemplary Program Award for the 2015-2016 school year.

Mr. Rieke is a sought-after clinician, adjudicator, and conductor at orchestra events around the metro area, and State. He has also conducted the Minnesota summer pops camp, the east Tennessee all regional orchestra, one of the 2009 Alabama All-State Orchestras, and one of the 2020 Minnesota All-State Orchestras.

Mr. Rieke has been a Georgia All-State Orchestra organizing chair for eleven years, served as the GMEA Orchestra division chair (2007-2009), the GMEA Vice President for Performance Evaluations (2012-2014) and most recently as the GMEA President (2018-2020). Mr. Rieke has also served as secretary and treasurer for the Georgia Chapter of ASTA and was named the Georgia ASTA “Orchestra Director of the Year” in 2010. Mr. Rieke has presented sessions at the GMEA in-service Conference and the ASTA National Conference.

Mr. Rieke resides in Tucker, Georgia, with his wife Stacy.

Mrs. Maria Hesketh

Maria Phillips Hesketh is an accomplished music educator who currently serves as Associate Director of Bands at Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia. With a passion for teaching and a commitment to excellence, she is dedicated to helping her students develop their musical abilities and achieve their goals.

As the lead teacher for the NHS Symphonic Winds and the NHS Concert Band, Mrs. Hesketh is responsible for guiding her students through a rigorous and rewarding curriculum. In addition to her work with Norcross High School, she is an active member of the music education community in her county and district. She serves as a GCPS High School Band Lead Teacher, a conductor of the Gwinnett County Youth Wind Symphony, and the Winds and Percussion Coordinator for the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony.

Before joining the Norcross family, Mrs. Hesketh taught at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, where she played an instrumental role in the success of the school’s music program. As Assistant Band Director, she helped the Harrison Bands achieve impressive results, including performances at the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival and the GMEA In-State Conference. As Woodwind Caption Head, Mrs. Hesketh contributed to the marching band’s achievement of the Bands of America Regional Champion title.

Mrs. Hesketh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Kennesaw State University, where she excelled academically and musically. While at KSU, she studied flute with Christina Smith and voice with Leah Partridge, and performed with several of the university’s premier music ensembles, including the Wind Symphony, Women’s Choir, Marching Band, and Concert Band. As the first drum major for “The Marching Owls”, Mrs. Hesketh played a vital role in establishing the university’s marching band culture. She also helped colonize the Iota Psi chapter of Tau Beta Sigma as its founding Treasurer.

Mrs. Hesketh is an active member of the National Association for Music Education and the Georgia Music Educators Association. Her commitment to music education and her students is evident in everything she does, from her tireless work in the classroom to her ongoing efforts to advance the field. She currently resides in Norcross, Georgia with her husband, Daniel.