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How is soli played?
Let a small named subgroup—such as selected violins or front desks—take the passage apart from the tutti section. Soli lies between solo and tutti, but the word sets no universal group size: it requires more than one designated player and lasts until tutti, solo or another explicit allocation. In jazz big-band writing, it can feature an entire section playing in harmony. Confusing solo with soli changes how many players step forward.
How does soli sound?
The listener hears a slender, transparent group sound — fuller than one player but far lighter than the whole section — a small body of players set in relief against the surrounding texture.
In context
Glossaries define soli as the Italian plural of solo and as an instruction for more than one player or singer; in jazz it can mean a whole section playing in harmony, while classical usage may assign a few simultaneous parts to individual orchestral players. Stone's 'Two Soli' example presents two prominent players before a later Tutti return. Oxford confirms the plural form, and A-R prints the complete word without abbreviation.