Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria (Choir & Orchestra)

Founded: 2015 - Lugano, Canton of Ticino, Switzerland

Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria

The Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria was born as the Bach Ensemble in 2015, before changing to its current name in early 2017, as a vocal group made up of young passionate musicians gathered to sing works by great composers and of great beauty. Starting from the small, the Ensemble has traveled a path full of successes and now sees participants of various ages but always with the same passion for music. Directed by Jan-Philip Dolci, a young musician, the Ensemble has performed on many occasions with various programs. Since 2017, the Ensemble Orchestra has also been added to the Choir, which allows participants to perform new and exciting repertoires.

Coro dell'Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria

The Ensemble was formed in 2015 founded by Jan-Philip Dolci and the first participants with the simple intent of making music together and having fun singing works of extraordinary beauty. The vocal group, which was born as Bach Ensemble and then changes at the beginning of 2017 to the name Soli Deo Gloria, performs for the first time in May 2016, together with other small chamber music groups, with a short but intense program: J.S. Bach's Motet Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227.

Since then the Ensemble, directed by Jan-Philip Dolci, regularly engages in its own projects, which focus on the music of J.S. Bach and other composers of the Renaissance and Baroque age, and on other occasions, in which it ranges over a repertoire that goes from the Middle Ages to Jazz.

Occasions like these were: the musical contribution to the Protestant cult of November 13, 2016, and to the cult televised by the RSI of March 19, 2017 at the Chiesa Riformata Evangelica di Lugano; the concert in honor of the change of management of the Capanna Michela Motterascio, at the aforementioned capanna on the Greina Plateau, on 12 August 2017; the musical contribution to the messa di San Francesco at the Chiesa di San Francesco a Locarno, on October 8, 2017; the musical contribution to the Protestant cult at the Chiesa Riformata Evangelica di Lugano, on October 22, 2017.

The Ensemble's concerts were: on May 11, 2016 at the events room of the Bora da Besa restaurant in Gentilino; on December 1 & 17, 2016 respectively at the Chiesa di San Cristoforo a Caslano and at the Chiesa di San Pietro a Pambio-Noranco; on May 14, 2017, under the direction of Amos Eicher, at the Chiesa Riformata Evangelica di Ascona; on November 23 & 30, 2017 respectively at the Chiesa Riformata Evangelica di Ascona and at the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo a Lugano.

Orchestra dell'Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria

The Ensemble was formed in 2015 founded by Jan-Philip Dolci and the first participants in the form initially only of vocal group. In the concerts of the Ensemble, however, there was always the presence of small instrumental chamber music groups who sometimes collaborated with members of the vocal group.

Only in September 2017, in the light of the new project which includes some Cantatas by J.S. Bach, did the need arise for an instrumental group of its own: therefore the Orchestra dell'Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria was created. This brings together musicians from the Scuola di Musica and the Pre-College section and the Scuola Universitaria del Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana alongside external musicians or teachers of the institute.

Conducted by Jan-Philip Dolci, the Orchestra performed for the first time as part of the Ensemble's 2017 Bach Project together with the Chorus, on November 23 & 30, 2017 respectively at the Chiesa Riformata Evangelica di Ascona and at the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo a Lugano, and on December 3, 2017 at the Parrocchia SS. Annunciata a Lurate Caccivio. Shortly thereafter, the first project of his own arrived, concluded with a concert on March 25, 2018, in which he performed W.A. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G with the soloist Leoni Rast. With the last project, the Orchestra has again shown itself in an independent capacity, bringing a wide symphonic program that ranges from Haydn to W.A. Mozart, this time collaborating with Andrea Jermini. The concerts were held on March 5 & 6, 2019 respectively in the l'Aula Magna del Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana and in the Chiesa Riformata evangelica di Ascona.

Sources:
Ensemble Soli De Gloria Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (December 2021)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2021)

Jan-Philip Dolci: Short Biography | Ensembles: Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria
Bach Discography: Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria: Coro e Orchestra [Italian]