How to Hire a Live Orchestra in Switzerland — Corporate Events, Galas & Weddings
Yes — you can hire a live orchestra in Switzerland for a corporate event, gala or wedding, and it's simpler than most planners expect. United Soloists Orchestra scales from a string quartet to a 60-piece symphonic show, travels across the country, and quotes every booking to your budget, with public tiers starting from CHF 500.
What can you actually book?
Almost any size and mood. United Soloists Orchestra fields ensembles from 12 to 60 musicians, so a single event can flow from a solo harp or string quartet at the ceremony, to a jazz band over dinner, to our flagship Symphonic Disco — a full orchestra playing disco and pop — filling the dance floor.
Everything is one ensemble wearing different hats. The shows corporate and private clients ask for most include:
- Symphonic Disco — our flagship: a full orchestra turning disco and pop into a live dance party.
- Exotic Event — an elegant classical set (Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Piazzolla) for a refined welcome or dinner.
- Frank Sinatra & Friends — swing and big-band standards for an aperitivo or gala.
- Une Soirée à Saint-Tropez — a glamorous, cinematic evening for a themed party.
- Symphonic Greatest Hits — the crowd-pleasing symphonic showcase.
- YOUR PLAYLIST — a fully bespoke programme built around your songs.
Prefer to see the full range and the mission behind it? Our about page explains the genre fluidity that lets Beethoven share an evening with the Bee Gees.
What does it cost to hire an orchestra in Switzerland?
USO publishes honest starting prices on our public services page, then quotes each event to your budget — every figure a starting "from":
- Weddings & ceremonies — from CHF 500
- Dinner & background music with our Sweet & Tight Band — from CHF 3,000
- Private concert, small ensemble (~12 musicians) — from CHF 8,000
- Private concert, full orchestra (25+ musicians) — from CHF 20,000
The final number depends on a few honest variables: how many musicians you want, how far we travel across Switzerland, the timing, and whether you need custom arrangements. A small ensemble playing existing repertoire sits near the entry tier; a large orchestra with bespoke, newly written charts sits higher. Tell us your budget on the services form and we'll shape a package to fit it.
What's the difference between USO and a booking platform?
The difference is who actually shows up. Book through United Soloists and you get one named, pedigreed ensemble with a single artistic director, its own orchestral arrangements, and its own touring sound and backline — not a per-event assembly of freelancers. You always know exactly which musicians and which show you're getting.
Our soloists are young virtuosi who also perform with orchestras such as the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and La Scala, and many of the arrangements are written by our Music Director, Arseniy Shkaptsov. Because we own our technical equipment — microphones, in-ears, monitors and backline — and bring it by bus, we can play venues that have no gear of their own. We tour internationally too: in 2024 we played a 14-concert tour across China to halls of 500 to 3,000 seats. Cremona Sera praised the "confident and fluid conducting baton," and Ticino Welcome called us "l'ensemble che rivoluziona la musica in Europa" (17 August 2025). You can see the full press dossier and touring record on our for-promoters page.
“L’ensemble che rivoluziona la musica in Europa.” — Ticino Welcome, 17 August 2025
How do you plan the music for a corporate event or wedding?
Think of the evening as three acts — and USO can play all three:
- The ceremony — gentle, elegant music as your guests arrive.
- The aperitivo & dinner — warm background music that lets people talk.
- The party — a full dance set that fills the floor.
We shape ensemble, volume and repertoire to your space, your timing and the moment you want.
Here's how that looks in practice. For a private birthday in a château in France, we drove in by bus from Ticino: a small string orchestra welcomed the guests with classical pieces, and later a 30-piece orchestra turned the room into a disco for the dancing. Many clients build the same arc from three ingredients — a string quartet for the cocktail, a jazz band for dinner, a disco orchestra for the party.
Want your own songs in the mix? For smaller ensembles we're very flexible with custom requests. For a full orchestra we take bespoke requests too, but they need lead time and cost more, because our arranger writes the score for every instrument first. The photos in this piece are from our Exotic Event programme — a good sense of how a refined classical set actually looks in the room.
How do you get a quote, and how far ahead should you book?
Send one enquiry through the services form and you'll hear back within 24 hours. Tell us the date, place, guest count and the mood you want, and we'll propose ensembles and a quote. One to two months' notice is ideal; for urgent dates we can sometimes be ready the next day if we're free.
Reach is rarely a problem: we travel anywhere in Switzerland and abroad, and we're flexible about space, power and staging — we'll almost always find a solution. There's no pressure and no obligation in an enquiry; the fastest way to find out what your event could sound like is simply to ask us for a quote.
Written by Arseniy Shkaptsov, founder, Music Director and chief arranger of United Soloists Orchestra. Arseniy studied at the Central Music School in Moscow, the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano and the ZHdK in Zurich, and was mentored by conductors including Paavo and Neeme Järvi, Daniele Gatti and Vladimir Fedoseev. Cremona Sera praised his "confident and fluid conducting baton… great mastery of the difficult repertoire."
FAQ
What's the smallest and largest ensemble I can hire?
Anything from a solo harp or a string quartet for a ceremony up to a full orchestra of around 60 musicians for a symphonic gala. Most private bookings sit somewhere in between, and we help you choose the right size for your space and guest count.
Can you play indoors and outdoors, anywhere in Switzerland?
Yes. We travel across the whole of Switzerland and abroad, and play both indoor and outdoor events. We're flexible about space, staging and power, and because we carry our own sound equipment we can perform in venues that have none of their own.
How far in advance should we book?
One to two months is comfortable and gives us time to plan the programme. For urgent dates we can sometimes be ready as soon as the next day if the orchestra is free — so it's always worth asking, even at short notice.
Can you play our company's or our couple's specific songs?
Yes. For smaller ensembles we're very flexible with custom playlists. For a full orchestra we take bespoke requests too, but they need more lead time and cost more, because our arranger has to write a new score for every instrument before we can rehearse it.
Do you bring your own sound equipment?
Yes. United Soloists owns its microphones, in-ears, monitors and backline and brings them by bus, so you don't have to rent a separate PA or worry whether the venue is equipped. It's one less thing on your checklist.