It was founded in order to release recordings made during the Bach Cantata pilgrimage that took place in the year 2000.
According to its website, the name Soli Deo Gloria is drawn from the initials that Johann Sebastian Bach appended at the end of each of his cantatas, dedicating them to the "glory of God alone".
Gardiner had a successful collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon from the 1980s, but the company was willing to release only a small number of the Bach cantatas which were recorded live in 2000.
[2] In October 2005 its very first release, Bach Cantatas, volume 1 (SDG101), won "Record of the Year" at the Gramophone Awards.
In 2006 the label made headlines with a CD of two Mozart symphonies, recorded live during a concert at London's Cadogan Hall and released at the end of the evening.