Book a Crossover Orchestra for Festivals, Tours & Corporate Events

United Soloists Orchestra (USO) is a bookable, touring crossover orchestra you can hire for festivals, tours, galas and corporate events. We reimagine 70s–00s pop, rock and film music as full symphonic shows — led by our flagship Symphonic Disco — travel with our own sound and staging, and quote every date to your budget. Request availability.

Who is United Soloists Orchestra — and why book us?

USO is a Switzerland-based crossover orchestra for hire: up to 25 musicians on stage turning music you already love into a live symphonic experience. Founded and led by conductor-arranger Arseniy Shkaptsov, we headline festivals, tour internationally, and play corporate galas — one booking, our own production, a room on its feet.

We are not an agency's roster listing. When you enquire, you talk directly to the people who arrange, rehearse and perform the show. That means faster answers on programme, format and logistics — and a partner who owns the artistic result, not a middleman between you and the stage.

What can you book — and what makes the show different?

You can book a full crossover programme built for your audience. Our flagship is Symphonic Disco — 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s hits rebuilt for a 25-piece orchestra — plus a deep catalogue of symphonic pop, rock and film shows. Every one is played live in symphony, never over a backing track.

• Symphonic Disco — the flagship dance-floor show, and the one promoters ask for most.
• Symphonic Greatest Hits, Symphonic Alternative Rock and Coldplay in Symphony — crossover and symphonic-rock programmes built for a festival main stage.
• The Music of Ludovico Einaudi and classical galas — for a seated, cinematic evening.
• Corporate galas, openings and private events, scaled from a small ensemble up to a full orchestra.

Formats we are regularly booked for: a festival headline set, a corporate gala or opening, New Year and city celebrations, and bespoke crossover evenings. Tell us the room and the audience, and we shape the programme to fit.

Why is USO an easy booking for a promoter?

Because we lower your risk and your rider burden. USO owns and travels with its own production — FOH and monitor consoles, in-ear monitoring, the orchestra's own microphones and backline — so you don't have to rent (and pay for) a full symphonic audio package. We arrive as a self-contained party of roughly 29 people.

Self-owned production means lower cost for you

Our technical rider is written to flex around your venue. For larger stages we can bring the complete stage and FOH package; for smaller rooms we scale to your house system. The violin section, for example, always travels with its own microphones. Fewer rentals, fewer surprises, one technical contact.

One team, two riders, no guesswork

Every booking runs on two clear documents — a technical rider and a hospitality rider — agreed in advance. You know exactly what the orchestra brings and what the venue provides, from console models to hotels and catering, before anything is signed.

Where has USO played — and what does the press say?

USO has a verifiable, first-hand track record: a 14-concert tour of China in 2024 (halls of 500–3,000 seats, standing ovations to ABBA encores), Swiss and Italian dates, and an ongoing collaboration with jazz great Stefano Bollani. Swiss press has followed the orchestra since 2021.

“Confident and fluid conducting baton… great mastery of the difficult repertoire… a wonderful ensemble in balanced dialogue.” — Cremona Sera

Italian-Swiss daily Corriere del Ticino reviewed a sold-out show at the church of San Francesco in Locarno under the headline “il piacere della leggerezza” (“the pleasure of lightness”), and Ticino Welcome (17 Aug 2025) called USO “l'ensemble che rivoluziona la musica in Europa” — the ensemble revolutionising music in Europe. A public press dossier, photo archive and official documents are there for your due diligence.

How much does it cost to book USO?

Every festival, tour and corporate booking is quoted to your format, dates and budget — there is no single sticker price for a touring orchestra, and self-owned production usually lowers your total cost. For smaller private and ceremony work, USO's public service tiers start from CHF 500.

• Festival, tour or corporate — a custom quote to your programme, party size and travel. Ask for availability and a quote.
• Private & ceremony services — published tiers from CHF 500 on our services page.

The fastest way to a number is to tell us the date, the city and the room. We come back with availability and a clear quote.

Who writes and leads the orchestra?

Written by Arseniy Shkaptsov — founder, Music Director, conductor and arranger of United Soloists Orchestra. Trained in Moscow (Central Music School), Lugano (Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana) and Zurich (ZHdK), he has worked with mentors including Paavo and Neeme Järvi and Daniele Gatti, and writes many of the orchestra's arrangements himself. Talk to him directly about your event at ars@uso.swiss.

Frequently asked questions

Is United Soloists Orchestra available for our festival date?

Very likely — we tour across Switzerland, Italy and internationally, and hold dates year-round. Send us your date, city and venue capacity through the promoter form and we'll confirm availability quickly.

How large is the orchestra, and can you scale it?

Our flagship Symphonic Disco travels with 25 musicians (a party of roughly 29 including crew). We scale from a small ensemble up to a full orchestra depending on your stage, budget and programme.

What do you need from the venue technically?

USO owns and brings much of its own production — consoles, in-ear monitoring, the violin microphones and backline. Depending on venue size we either supply the full stage and FOH package or scale to your house system, all agreed via our technical rider in advance.

Can you travel internationally?

Yes. We've toured China (14 concerts in 2024) and played dates across Italy and Switzerland, travelling as a self-contained party with our own equipment. Travel and logistics are quoted per booking.

How do we get a quote?

Request availability via our booking form, or email artistic director Arseniy Shkaptsov at ars@uso.swiss. Tell us the date, city and audience, and we'll send availability and a tailored quote.

Book United Soloists Orchestra

Ready to put a genre-fluid orchestra on your stage? Request availability now and we'll get straight back to you with dates and a quote — or email ars@uso.swiss to talk it through with our artistic director.

Photography: AK Photography (Andrey Klimontov).