Trans-Siberian Orchestra string master Mark Wood partnered with over 200 local middle school and high school students to perform a rock orchestra concert Saturday at Wekiva High School. 

“I am so grateful to be invited to work with this talent,” Wood said. “It’s so important for everybody to be involved in empowering the future.” 

Wood, the Julliard-trained inventor of the Viper electric violin, has previously partnered with OCPS four times as part of his Electrify Your Symphony program. The program’s tour, Rhythm Rising, stops at grade schools across the country to perform with local orchestra students. This year’s stop at Wekiva High School also featured students from Windermere High School, Cypress Creek High School, and Hunter’s Creek Middle School. 

Students played nine pieces with Wood, from classic rock anthems such as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to pop songs such as Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and “Beat It” by Michael Jackson.  

Before the Ozzy Osbourne finale, Wood played a medley of Trans-Siberian orchestra favorites, including an arrangement of “Flight of the Bumblebee” and “Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24.” 

“Mark is a great, personable person,” Wekiva High School director of orchestras and guitar Stephan Labelle said. “They were talking with him the entire time, asking him questions, and they just had a great time. I mean — the kids that knew him, the first time he walked in, they’re giving him a huge round of applause.” 

Labelle found out about the Electrify Your Symphony program through a Google search and has previously partnered with several other schools over the years to put on the concert. Due to financial constraints, this year’s concert featured approximately 200 students compared to last year’s 400, but Labelle is optimistic that the program will continue to expand. 

“We had the band class sitting in on our rehearsal yesterday, and they were rocking out and trying to play along with us,” Labelle said. “So the more eyes we can get on orchestral music and how we can play absolutely anything — and it’s not pigeonholed to older music, classical things like that. We can play what’s on the radio, we can play heavy metal, we can play rock and so on. I think it’s gonna definitely start bringing more kids to our program.” 

The next Rhythm Rising concert is set for Oct. 16 in Mishawaka, IN. 

“Ninety percent [of students], when they graduate, they never play again,” Wood said. “We want them to play for life. So those of you in the audience — dust off your saxophone, your guitars, your violins, your cellos. Dust them off, because when you play music with your kids and your friends, it’s elevating.”