About Stephanie Plautz

Stephanie Plautz started her musical journey in her middle school band on Euphonium, and quickly fell in love with performing music. Quickly after that, she picked up trombone and joined every single ensemble she could, from jazz and orchestral to marching band and concert band. 

Drawn to a career in music, Stephanie pursued an undergraduate degree in Music Composition from the University of North Texas, graduating in the Spring of 2022. Since then, she has also participated in the Wizarding School for Composers in the Spring of 2023. Stephanie has also taught at the Seattle Cascades in 2023, the Guardians in 2024, and at the Little Elm High School as a marching band tech. 

In her free time, Stephanie loves hanging out with her husband, petting dogs, going on runs, trying new things, and creating videos about music notation. 

About Anthem for Peace

The world has turned into chaos. Nothing has made sense for many years. Resolution seems impossible. A world of unity seems out of reach for many.

With how chaotic everything has turned into, many have turned into creating peace and resolutions. People have stepped up to reach their hand out instead of putting each other down. They have reached out to create a community of love over hate. 

With a goal of peace in mind, many people have created an Anthem for the world we want.

Featured in the Creative Classical Concert Management's “Rising Artist” Series and described by Pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute as “an excellent clarinetist,” Mark Allen Jr. has been a prize winner in the American Prize, American Protégé, and Paris Music competitions. He gave his Carnegie Hall debut recital in March of 2020.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Roosevelt University and a master’s degree in music performance from New York University.

Mark can be heard on the soundtracks to the Uber documentary “Uber Presents” and the Amazon film “Passover,” both directed by Spike Lee. He has performed alongside members of the New York Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, United States Army Band, and Iris Orchestra, among others. As a chamber musician, he has performed internationally with his trio the Bowery Trio and recorded with the Talea Ensemble.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Mark began his clarinet studies in 2009 with Trayon Hall. In 2011, he was accepted into the Atlanta Symphony’s Talent Development Program. While in the program, he studied with bass clarinetist Alcides Rodriguez of the Atlanta Symphony.

Mark has performed in numerous venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Harman Hall, Symphony Center in Chicago, Harris Theater, the Auditorium Theatre, Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, Ganz Hall, Symphony Hall in Atlanta, and the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts.

Mark regularly performs with the Colour of Music Orchestra, Soulful Symphony, and has been seen in concert alongside artists such as Lucky Daye; Earth, Wind and Fire; Billy Porter; and Twinkie Clark. In 2020, Mark was scheduled to go on tour throughout London, Canada, and the United States with the Chineke! Orchestra (postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

 Mark was accepted as the first Clarinet Fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta, where he studied with Leslie Grimm. He has performed in master classes with Franklin Cohen, Michele Zukovsky, Mark Dover, Tod Palmer, and Charlene Zimmerman and has studied with Rodriguez, Hall, John Bruce Yeh, Pavel Vinnitsky, Pascual Martinez-Forteza, and Dr. Robyn Jones.

Currently, Mark is a member of the United States Air Force Band of the West.

Ms. Clare McMillian Cantu is a freelance violist in South Texas playing in various region orchestras since 2000, notably Symphony of the Hills for 15 years, plus Victoria Symphony, Laredo Symphony, and Corpus Christie Symphony. She helped start the South Texas Symphonic Orchestra as principal violist and currently plays principal for San Antonio Community Orchestra. She studied with great violists such as Barbara Hustis, Jerzy Kosmala, and Daniel Renker. She has taught viola for San Antonio College, TLU Community Academy and Centerpoint Music Studio. She has a Bachelor’s in Viola Performance from UTSA and a Master’s in Music Education from Texas Tech University. She was the first string player to win the UTSA Concerto Aria Competition in 2001 and has soloed with many orchestras including the Incarnate Word Symphony, UTSA Orchestra, Symphony of the Piney Woods, PESH Orchestra, and the Texas Outdoor Musical Drama. She enjoys teaching elementary music at Woodlake Elementary School In Judson ISD, and taught middle school orchestra for 20 years.  She loves to learn new instruments and plays well over 6 instruments. She is the proud mom of two sons, a Citadel Cadet, Paul Evan, and a Washington DC lawyer, Tomas Pedro. She dedicates this performance to her abuelo Emilio Cantu Sr. who was both an engineer for the Air Force and a violinist in San Antonio, TX. 

Isaiah Valdez, 23, from Harlingen, Texas, began his musical journey at Vernon Middle School. He studied under Dr. Tido Janssen at UTRGV, honing his cello skills and developing a deep appreciation for the instrument. At the University of Texas at San Antonio, he learned from esteemed teachers like Dr. Yi Qun Xu, Holgen Gjoni, and Bonnie Hampton. He has also participated in masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Julien Swartz, Brook Speltz, Santiago Cañón Valencia, and Emilio Colon.

Isaiah actively engages in chamber groups at UTSA, showcasing his versatility and commitment to musical collaboration. His composition, "Silent Cartography," a suite for solo piano, won awards at UTSA's COLFA Research Conference in 2021. Currently at UTSA’s Master's program in Cello Performance and Pedagogy, Isaiah aspires to follow in the footsteps of his mentors and become a distinguished university-level music educator. His dedication and diverse musical pursuits highlight a promising career ahead.