San Antonio, TX — SOLI Chamber Ensemble is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Challenge America award of $10,000. This grant will support SOLI’s signature project for its 30th Anniversary: 30x30x30. In total, the NEA will award 257 Challenge America awards totaling $2,570,000 that were announced as part of its first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to SOLI Chamber Ensemble, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”
30x30x30 is a new music initiative in honor of SOLI’s 30th anniversary, supporting emerging and early-career composers in an inclusive celebration reflecting our community and culture. Thirty new compositions will be selected and curated from a national call and premiered in a series of performances beginning in May 2024. SOLI has convened a team of artists representing some of today’s most diverse and unique voices in contemporary music to facilitate 30x30x30. Team members include Clarice Assad, Shawn Okpebholo, Alexandra Gardner, Iván Enrique Rodriguez, and Ethan Wickman.
“30x30x30 pays it forward – leveraging a milestone in SOLI’s history to amplify diverse creatives and bring thirty new compositions to life,” said SOLI Clarinetist and Artistic Director Stephanie Key. “We are thrilled to lift up voices that invite connections within our communities and contribute to an authentic cultural landscape representative of our time.”
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit
Congratulations SOLI!!!