The Vision of Soli Deo Gloria

They are icons of history’s greatest expressions of faith; Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem...each work a tribute not only to creative genius, but to a greater principle of artistic design: truth and beauty. In the world of the concert hall, the recording studio, and the classroom this powerful fusion is often called “sacred music.” It is this medium, rich with tradition and relevance, that inspires the work of Soli Deo Gloria.

Since its establishment as a nonprofit organization in 1993, Soli Deo Gloria has sought to facilitate the creation of sacred classical music, at the highest level, to the glory of God. To this end, Soli Deo Gloria has channeled the support of its donors in three unique directions: (1) sponsorship of sacred music concerts around the world, (2) sponsorship of recordings of sacred music, and (3) commissions for new sacred music from the world’s leading composers. In each of these areas Soli Deo Gloria has gained recognition as an extraordinary, behind-the-scenes advocate of sacred music, raising over $1 million in its first six years of operation.

Soli Deo Gloria’s worldwide sponsorship of sacred music concerts began in 1996 when the organization cooperated with the General Motors Corporation and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Chorus in two performances of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. Translated into the Chinese language by composer Bright Sheng and presented in the Shanghai Center Theater, Brahms’ Requiem was thus performed in China for the first time in the nation’s history. In 1997, Soli Deo Gloria collaborated with Music Mission Kiev in a presentation of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 (Hymn of Praise) and Symphony No. 5 (Reformation) to the people of Kiev, Ukraine. Less than a year later, Soli Deo Gloria participated in another performance of Mendelssohn’s 2nd and 5th symphonies, a concert that showcased the two works in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

In 1994, the organization embarked upon its first recording project. Combining the choruses of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and The Lira Chamber Chorus, Soli Deo Gloria sponsored both the recording and the North American premiere of Henryk Górecki’s Miserere. Within weeks of its 1995 release on the Electra/Nonesuch label, the resultant CD titled Miserere found its way onto Billboard’s top 10 classical chart and has since sold over 100,000 copies. Soli Deo Gloria’s second recording project, the first ever complete recording of Berlioz’ Te Deum, was released in the spring of 2001 on the EMI/Virgin Classics label and was nominated for the prestigious Grand Diapason d’Or Prize.

American composer Paul Schoenfield was the first to receive a commission from Soli Deo Gloria. The outcome was a 50-minute oratorio titled D’vorah, which received its world premiere in Haifa, Israel in 1998 with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Gospel Choir. The American premiere of D’vorah was celebrated less than a year later at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Soli Deo Gloria has since commissioned Guggenheim Fellowship winner, George Arasimowicz; Chicago Symphony Orchestra Composer-in-Residence, Augusta Read Thomas; and Pulitzer Prize winner, Christopher Rouse. The organization’s commissions have received performances by such ensembles as the Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ensemble orchestral de Paris, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the Morgan State University Choir, and the American Boychoir.

Soli Deo Gloria derives its name from the practice of the eminent 17th century musician, Johann Sebastian Bach, who inscribed many of his compositions with the Latin phrase, SOLI DEO GLORIA (to God alone be the Glory). Over 250 years later, the world still reels from the output of Bach’s creative soul. In similar fashion, Soli Deo Gloria, strives to have a lasting impact upon its culture. With committed donors, an efficient and dedicated staff, a minimal administrative budget, and a board of directors of the highest quality, Soli Deo Gloria champions an art form of timeless truth and beauty—a tribute to the God who inspires it.

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