A note from the founder

Hello!

My name is Evin Blomberg, and I am the Founder and CEO of the Soli Music Society as well as a violinist in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. I started the Soli Music Society because I whole-heartedly believe in the power of great music and its ability to affect each and every one of us - and in some cases, change lives.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced my orchestra to halt all in-person performances in 2020, I was struggling to find a purpose as a musician. At first, it felt as if the arts were not missed at all, especially in the context of everything else happening around the world at the time. As a performer, it was absolutely devastating - after decades of dedicating all of my time, energy, and resources to the violin, I was forced to face the “why” of it all and dig deeper to figure out how I could use music to make a difference in my community.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before orchestras like ours started recording and streaming performances online, and all of a sudden there was an overwhelming response from people all over the world who felt that music (and arts/culture in general) was the only thing giving them hope during difficult times. It was a positive reminder that life goes on, things will someday return to normal, and that things like the arts remind us of a greater purpose in life.

Seeing the impact of music and how it affected so many people gave me purpose again. So while our orchestra performances were still relatively infrequent, I spent my free time practicing, working on solo projects, recordings, digital performances, competitions, and finding any way possible to continue developing as a musician. I also spent a lot of time talking to members of the community and figuring out ways to reach more people with smaller performances.

Music is a language that everyone can understand, and after seeing new life in the eyes of musicians and audiences after performances started up again, I decided I wanted to take action. I started the Soli Music Society because I wanted to create a platform for musicians to be able to play pieces they love for all kinds of audiences around the community, creating even more opportunities for classical music to reach people and impact their lives.

It could be a child hearing Mozart for the first time; a successful young executive discovering the sound of a quartet; or maybe even a young parent discovering classical music performances as a family activity. Classical music can be an inspiring experience for everyone, and I hope I can contribute even a little bit towards enriching our community!

Evin