Live Music for the Whole Evening — Booking USO for a Corporate Dinner, Reception or Ceremony

You can staff an entire evening from one orchestra. United Soloists Orchestra arrives as a small ensemble or the Sweet & Tight Band for your reception and dinner, then grows into the full Symphonic Disco show for dancing. One booking, one production team, one musical thread from the first guest to the last song.

What music fits the arrival, ceremony and dinner?

For the quieter moments, you want music that elevates the room without shouting over it. We use solo harp or a string quartet for ceremonies, the Sweet & Tight Band for dinner, and programmes like Exotic Event when you want a small seated concert before the party starts.

Our services page lists the formats we book most often:

• Ceremonies and weddings — a solo harp or a string quartet, light enough for a processional or signing.
• Arrival and apéro — elegant string arrangements or relaxed jazz and bossa nova while guests settle in.
• Dinner — the Sweet & Tight Band moves between lounge, swing and classic Frank Sinatra or Big Band energy for a lively meal.

When you want something more concert-like for the early part of the night, our Exotic Event programme is a real example. Fifteen musicians performed Ravel's Tzigane, Tchaikovsky's Andante Cantabile and Piazzolla's Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas at Villa Castagnola in Lugano. The promoter note from that evening says it "fits perfectly for small concerts up to 100 persons."

What gets the room dancing after dinner?

That is where Symphonic Disco comes in. It is the show clients ask for most: a 25-musician dance-floor set that takes the orchestra from background elegance to the centre of the party. Think of it as the same ensemble, just uncorked.

The transition is the point. After a quiet dinner, the room needs a release — and a full orchestra playing disco, funk and pop hits delivers it without feeling like a separate booking tacked on at the end.

The format has already done what it promises. After a Symphonic Disco show at Salle Métropole in Lausanne, hall manager Vanessa Bochsler said she had never seen the room react that way in ten years of running the venue — the whole hall was dancing, "thought the balcony would fall down."

If your evening is built around that switch from dinner to dance floor, we cover it in more detail in our guide to hiring Symphonic Disco for a corporate event.

How big an ensemble do you actually need?

Match the formation to the moment, not the other way around. A quartet is perfect when people need to talk; a fifteen-piece chamber ensemble suits a seated listening segment; and the full orchestra is what turns a dinner into a dance floor.

Here is how we usually size it, from the smallest moment to the biggest:

• Solo harp or string quartet — ceremonies, intimate spaces, music that stays under conversation.
• Sweet & Tight Band — dinners, receptions and galas where guests eat, network and drift between rooms.
• Chamber ensemble (~12–15 musicians) — a seated concert segment during or before dinner, like the Exotic Event format.
• Full orchestra (25+ musicians) — the Symphonic Disco party set, or a full private concert.

Live pricing on /services starts at CHF 500 for ceremonies, CHF 1,500 for background music with the Sweet & Tight Band, and CHF 4,000 for a private concert. Larger orchestra formats are quoted to your budget, venue and travel — just ask.

How do bookings work, and what does USO bring?

Start with a short note to ars@uso.swiss or the enquiry form on /services. Tell us the date, venue, number of guests, timeline and which parts of the evening need music. We come back with a tailored line-up and programme built around your schedule.

What you get is more than musicians. USO travels with its own technical setup — mics, in-ears, monitors and backline — so the production side is handled by one team. Our technical and hospitality rider explainer shows how we keep logistics simple for venues and organisers.

Whether it is a corporate gala, a private celebration or a wedding, the idea is the same: one orchestra that can whisper during dinner and roar after dessert.

Frequently asked questions

Can one booking cover both dinner and dancing?

Yes. We plan the evening as a single arc: small ensemble or Sweet & Tight Band for arrival and dinner, then the Symphonic Disco show for the party. One contract, one load-in, one musical handover.

What is the smallest ensemble you offer?

A solo harp or string quartet for ceremonies. For dinner music, the Sweet & Tight Band is the smallest booked format.

Do you play weddings and ceremonies?

Yes. We regularly provide music for ceremonies, processional moments and wedding dinners. The ceremony tier starts at CHF 500.

What are the price ranges?

As verified on our live services page: ceremonies from CHF 500, background music with the Sweet & Tight Band from CHF 1,500, private concerts from CHF 4,000. Larger or travelling productions are quoted to budget.

How far in advance should we book?

For private and corporate events, the earlier the better — especially if you want a weekend date or a full orchestra format. A few months ahead is typical; last-minute enquiries are welcome if the calendar allows.

Written by Arseniy Shkaptsov, founder and Music Director of United Soloists Orchestra, conductor and arranger.