Arts Spotlight written on a dark blue background with unfocused orbs of light

 

Each month we feature arts and community-based organizations and their programs and projects funded by the Delaware Division of the Arts in our Arts Spotlight which will be included on our monthly e-newsletter, Arts E-News and online.

Funding for Division of the Arts grants is provided by the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. To view past grants awarded (1999 to present), please visit our Grants Awarded page.

Grant Types: GOS – General Operating Support; PS – Project Support

July 2025

SODELO Logo

Southern Delaware Chorale (SODELO)
Summer Celebration of America’s Music
Nassau
General Operating Support

Southern Delaware Orchestra seeks to foster a love of orchestral music in Southern Delaware. We are a volunteer community orchestra dedicated to enriching the community’s quality of life and cultural landscape through our performance and outreach programs. Our diverse membership includes students, professionals, music teachers, retirees, veterans, and more.

We share our love of music by providing sell-out performances across Sussex County to audiences in Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Georgetown, Ocean View, Indian River, and Milford. But our concerts are only part of our relationship with our neighbors in Southern Delaware. We aim to inspire the next generation of musicians by performing at Sussex County school assemblies whenever possible. Our outreach programs include summer music enrichment programs for the Boys and Girls Club of Lewes and the Children’s Beach House where orchestra members play, teach, and share personal music experiences to summer campers ages 7 – 17. We also assist young musicians obtain orchestral instruments and equipment through our annual “Instruments in the Attic” donation program. And, we perform free rehearsals at senior living residences where the power of live music generates positive physical and mental benefits by alleviating feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Two concerts are scheduled for July. The 3 PM concert on July 19th marks SODELO’s debut at the first public high school in Sussex to offer string education – Milford High School. The July 20th at 3 PM at Cape Henlopen High School continues the orchestra’s tradition of performing at Cape, a location they frequently sell out. The performances will be under the baton of guest conductor, Mr. Stephen Czarkowski, an internationally recognized conductor and cellist, and will also feature soprano Dr. Makeda Hampton, a renowned soloist who has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The program includes works by some of America’s greatest composers, including Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, John Williams, Richard Rodgers, John Philip Sousa, and Irving Berlin.

July 19, 2025 – Milford High School, Milford DE @ 3:00 PM

July 20, 2025 – Cape Henlopen High School, Milford DE @ 3:00 PM

August 12, 2025 – Freeman Stage, Selbyville, DE @7:00 PM

We are also pleased to perform an encore concert on the Freeman Stage, Selbyville on August 12th at 7:00 PM. SODELO will make its first visit to the outdoor pavilion performing selections from the July concerts, along with some special surprises.

“We are truly excited to present a program of American music that raises the bar high for the orchestra and features the talents of these amazing guest artists,” said SODELO Co-Founder and Board President Stephen Greifer. “We promise a lineup of favorites, plus exploration and discovery, as we stroll through some of the greatest music from some of the most iconic composers this nation has ever produced.” Tickets for all three of the concerts can be purchased at sodelomusic.org, or at the door.

To learn more, visit https://www.sodelomusic.org/

The projects above are supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes these and other Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

The Division offers a variety of grant programs for individual artists; nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations chartered and based in Delaware; and schools and government entities that support arts activities. View a full list of Division grants on the Grants Overview page.