Mark Wood and Jeff Plate first crossed paths as members of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the multi-platinum symphonic rock ensemble, though each brought his own distinct musical origins to the collaboration that would later bear their names. Mark Wood studied under Dr. Richard Rusack at Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, New York, before beginning his career with a full scholarship at the Juilliard School in New York and studied viola under William Lincer until he left. Jeff Plate, meanwhile, came up through the hard rock and heavy metal scene of the American Northeast. Growing up in New York state, the Kiss-inspired Plate started taking drum lessons, moving up and down the east coast before eventually hooking up with Boston-based band Wicked Witch, staying with that group for two years until 1992, when Plate hooked up with Savatage. After the passing of Savatage co-founder Criss Oliva, Plate got the call to join the crew. It was through this Savatage lineage that both men would find their way into the orchestra that defined their careers.
The pairing's breakthrough came through Trans-Siberian Orchestra, where Wood served as the group's original string virtuoso. Wood was the original string master of the symphonic rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Mark became an integral part of the formation of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and toured the world with them for close to 15 years, receiving many platinum and gold records for his contributions. Plate anchored the rhythm section as the band's drummer, a role he still holds. Jeff Plate is an American heavy metal drummer who has been a member of Savatage since 1994, and is also a member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Wood's flamboyant, self-invented instruments became a visual and sonic signature of the touring show, earning him comparisons that stuck for decades. Dubbed The Eddie Van Halen of the Violin World by PBS, Wood is the premier electric violinist of his generation who pioneered and innovated the entire genre. Beyond their shared TSO tenure, both musicians built expansive individual careers marked by collaborations and lineup shifts across the hard rock world. Plate formed Alta Reign in 2020, joined Metal Church in 2006 for six albums and multiple tours before parting ways in 2017, revived Wicked Witch as Machines of Grace with Zak Stevens and Matt Leff in 2009, and has performed on various albums and live shows with Chris Caffery, Mark Wood, John West, and many more. Wood, for his part, expanded well past the violin stand, becoming a sought-after collaborator and inventor. He has also played with Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Steve Vai, Westworld, and Lenny Kravitz. As a member of his touring band, Wood had the honor of performing with the legendary Billy Joel for both historic final concerts at Shea stadium, and his commission credits include The Juilliard School and extensive TV broadcast music including The Winter Olympics and The Tour de France, for which he won an Emmy. Today, Wood continues to perform, teach, and innovate through his own outfit. Wood writes and records original music for film and television, has released seven solo albums, and tours with his band The Mark Wood Experience, which features his partner, vocalist Laura Kaye. He left Trans-Siberian Orchestra's full-time touring lineup in 2009, though his influence persists throughout the rock violin world. He left TSO in 2009 to focus on his other career adventures, and most, if not all, of the rock and roll violin players you see in bands and on social media are likely playing one of Mark Wood's violins. Plate, still behind the kit for Trans-Siberian Orchestra and active with newer projects like Alta Reign, remains one of the most prolific working drummers to emerge from the Savatage family tree, carrying that lineage forward on stages around the world.
For archive visitors, the pairing of Mark Wood and Jeff Plate represents a distinctive chapter captured through Wayne Dennon's lens, a photographer whose concert archive has preserved the energy of live shows since 2002. Wayne photographed this act across two shows between 2007 and 2008, a period that aligns closely with the height of their touring visibility, and the 143 images from those nights remain among the collection's enduring highlights, drawing more than 105,700 views from visitors returning again and again to relive the spectacle of electric violin and thunderous drums sharing the same stage.
