A downstate community orchestra is feeling some wind in its sails.
The Southern Delaware Orchestra (SODELO) formed as a chamber orchestra in May 2022, quickly performing four Sussex County concerts.
Last month, SODELO made its first upstate appearance at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House, performing with Wilmington native and vocalist Aidan Briggs.
Now, the group is adding permanent percussion and winds sections.
SOLEDO co-founder and Board President Steve Greifer credits the University of Delaware’s Jim Anderson for much of the group’s quick growth.
"He volunteered to jump on board, and of course, having Jim as our Music Director really snowballed everything and supercharged the whole effort."
Greifer looks forward to expanding its reach.
"So we want to expand geographically, we want to play more concerts for folks, and we’re exploring the possibility of when we spend ten weeks learning a program to play it twice instead of once, and to do it in geographically-diverse places."
The December 16th holiday-themed performance at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach is sold out.
SODELO’s Spring Concert is April 13 in Rehoboth Beach.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
